Pricing and Welfare in Health Plan Choice

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2012
Volume: 102
Issue: 7
Pages: 3214-48

Authors (3)

M. Kate Bundorf (not in RePEc) Jonathan Levin (Stanford University) Neale Mahoney (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

Premiums in health insurance markets frequently do not reflect individual differences in costs, either because consumers have private information or because prices are not risk rated. This creates inefficiencies when consumers self-select into plans. We develop a simple econometric model to study this problem and estimate it using data on small employers. We find a welfare loss of 2-11 percent of coverage costs compared to what is feasible with risk rating. Only about one-quarter of this is due to inefficiently chosen uniform contribution levels. We also investigate the reclassification risk created by risk rating individual incremental premiums, finding only a modest welfare cost. (JEL G22, I13, I18)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:102:y:2012:i:7:p:3214-48
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25