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Reducing Medical Spending of the Publicly Insured: The Case for a Cash-Out Option

Author

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  • Svetlana Pashchenko

    (University of Georgia)

  • Ponpoje Porapakkarm

    (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)

Abstract

Individuals' medical spending has both necessary and discretionary components which are not, however, separately observable. This paper studies ways to improve upon existing public health insurance policies by using a framework where both the discretionary and necessary components of medical spending are explicitly modeled. First, using a simple theoretical framework the paper shows that the key to reducing discretionary medical spending is to introduce a trade-off between non-medical and medical consumption. Next, using a rich quantitative life-cycle model the paper shows that this trade-off can be successfully implemented by introducing an option to substitute public health insurance with cash transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Svetlana Pashchenko & Ponpoje Porapakkarm, 2018. "Reducing Medical Spending of the Publicly Insured: The Case for a Cash-Out Option," Working Papers 2018-080, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
  • Handle: RePEc:hka:wpaper:2018-080
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    Cited by:

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    2. Reona Hagiwara, 2022. "Welfare Effects of Health Insurance Reform: The Role of Elastic Medical Demand," IMES Discussion Paper Series 22-E-05, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    3. Yu, Zhixiu, 2024. "Why are older men working more? The role of social security," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    4. Youngsoo Jang, 2023. "Credit, Default, And Optimal Health Insurance," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 64(3), pages 943-977, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    medical spending; health insurance; optimal taxation; life-cycle model; ex-post moral hazard;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D52 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Incomplete Markets
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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