Subsidy Policies and Insurance Demand

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2020
Volume: 110
Issue: 8
Pages: 2422-53

Authors (3)

Jing Cai (not in RePEc) Alain de Janvry (not in RePEc) Elisabeth Sadoulet

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

Using data from a two-year pricing experiment, we study the impact of subsidy policies on weather insurance take-up. Results show that subsidies increase future insurance take-up through their influence on payout experiences. Exploring mechanisms of the payout effect, we find that for households that randomly benefited from financial education, receiving a payout provides a one-time learning experience that improves take-up permanently. In contrast, households with poor insurance knowledge continuously update take-up decisions based on recent experiences with disasters and payouts. Combining subsidy policies with financial education can thus be effective in promoting long-run insurance adoption.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:110:y:2020:i:8:p:2422-53
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25