Open enrollment periods and plan choices

B-Tier
Journal: Health Economics
Year: 2020
Volume: 29
Issue: 7
Pages: 733-747

Authors (3)

Francesco Decarolis (Università Commerciale Luigi B...) Andrea Guglielmo (not in RePEc) Clavin Luscombe (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.673 = (α=2.02 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

Open enrollment periods are pervasively used in insurance markets to limit adverse selection risks resulting when enrollees can switch plans at will. We exploit a change in the open enrollment rules of Medicare Advantage to analyze how beneficiaries responded to the option of switching to a 5‐star‐rated plan at anytime, in a setting where insurers adjusted premiums and benefit design to counterbalance the increased selection risk. We present three findings: Within‐year switches to 5‐star plans increase by 7–16%; demand for 5‐star plans across the years does not decline; and the enrollees who switch to a 5‐star plan during the year are in better health status than those who do not switch.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:hlthec:v:29:y:2020:i:7:p:733-747
Journal Field
Health
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25