The Two-Margin Problem in Insurance Markets

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2023
Volume: 105
Issue: 2
Pages: 237-257

Authors (4)

Michael Geruso (not in RePEc) Timothy J. Layton (Harvard University) Grace McCormack (not in RePEc) Mark Shepard (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Insurance markets often feature consumer sorting along both an extensive margin (whether to buy) and an intensive margin (which plan to buy). We present a new graphical theoretical framework that extends a workhorse model to incorporate both selection margins simultaneously. A key insight from our framework is that policies aimed at addressing one margin of selection often involve an economically meaningful trade-off on the other margin in terms of prices, enrollment, and welfare. Using data from Massachusetts, we illustrate these trade-offs in an empirical sufficient statistics approach that is tightly linked to the graphical framework we develop.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:105:y:2023:i:2:p:237-257
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25