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Access to Physician Services: Does Supplemental Insurance Matter? Evidence from France

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  • Thomas C. Buchmueller
  • Agnès Couffinhal
  • Michel Grignon
  • Marc Perronin

Abstract

In France, public health insurance is universal but incomplete, with private payments accounting for roughly 25 percent of all spending. As a result, most people have supplemental private health insurance. We investigate the effects of such insurance on the utilization of physician services using data from the 1998 Enquˆte Sant‚ Protection Sociale, a nationally representative survey of the French population. Our results indicate that insurance has a strong and significant effect on the utilization of physician services. Individuals with supplemental coverage have substantially more physician visits than those without. In a context where patients are free to choose their provider, we find no evidence that adults with supplemental insurance are more likely to visit a specialist than a general practitioner.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas C. Buchmueller & Agnès Couffinhal & Michel Grignon & Marc Perronin, 2002. "Access to Physician Services: Does Supplemental Insurance Matter? Evidence from France," NBER Working Papers 9238, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:9238
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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