Time Aggregation in Health Insurance Deductibles

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Year: 2024
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Pages: 270-99

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

Health insurance plans increasingly pay for expenses only beyond a large annual deductible. This paper explores the implications of deductibles that reset over shorter timespans. We develop a model of insurance demand between two actuarially equivalent deductible policies in which one deductible is larger and resets annually and the other deductible is smaller and resets biannually. Our model incorporates borrowing constraints, moral hazard, midyear contract switching, and delayable care. Calibrations using claims data show that the liquidity benefits of resetting deductibles can generate welfare gains of 3–10 percent of premium costs, particularly for individuals with borrowing constraints.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejpol:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:270-99
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26