scholarly journals Price-Linked Subsidies and Imperfect Competition in Health Insurance

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-311
Author(s):  
Sonia Jaffe ◽  
Mark Shepard
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Imperfect Competition ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Policy Response ◽  
Future Market ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
The Government ◽  
Mature Market ◽  
Exchange Data

Policymakers subsidizing health insurance often face uncertainty about future market prices. We study the implications of one policy response: linking subsidies to prices to target a given postsubsidy premium. We show that these price-linked subsidies weaken competition, raising prices for the government and/or consumers. However, price-linking also ties subsidies to health care cost shocks, which may be desirable. Evaluating this tradeoff empirically, using a model estimated with Massachusetts insurance exchange data, we find that price-linking increases prices 1–6 percent, and much more in less competitive markets. For cost uncertainty reasonable in a mature market, these losses outweigh the benefits of price-linking. (JEL G22, H75, I13, I18)

scholarly journals Kingdom of Eswatini

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (229) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
Policy Response ◽  
Fiscal Consolidation ◽  
External Demand ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Economic Shock ◽  
The Government ◽  
Severe Recession

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe impact on Eswatini’s economy at a time when the country is already facing deep economic challenges, and the government has begun fiscal consolidation efforts. A national lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, disruptions in supply chains, and lower external demand for key exports are curtailing economic activity. While the authorities’ policy response has been timely and proactive, the economic shock and containment policies are triggering a severe recession with significant social costs, and have created urgent balance of payments needs. The pandemic is unfolding in a context of high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and a stretched health care system, which increase Eswatini’s vulnerability.

scholarly journals Willingness to Pay for Social Health Insurance and Associated Factors among Health Care Providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Abel Mekonne ◽  
Benyam Seifu ◽  
Chernet Hailu ◽  
Alemayehu Atomsa
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Social Health Insurance ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
The Government

Background. Cost sharing between beneficiaries and government is critical to attain universal health coverage. The government of Ethiopia introduced social health insurance to improve access to quality health services. Hence, HCP are the ultimate frontline service provider; their WTP for health insurance could influence the implementation of the scheme directly or indirectly. However, there is limited evidence on willingness to pay (WTP) for social health insurance (SHI) among health professionals. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 1st to August 15th, 2019. A total sample of 480 health care providers was selected using a multistage sampling method. The collected data were entered into Epi Info version 7.1 and analyzed with SPSS version 23. Binary and multiple logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the associated factor outcome variable. The association was presented in odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and significance determined at a P value less than 0.05. Result. A total of 460 health care providers responded to the questionnaire, making a 95.8% response rate. Of the respondents, only 132 (28.7%) were WTP for SHI. Higher educational status [AOR=2.9, 95% CI (1.2-7.3)], higher monthly income [AOR=2.2, 95% CI (1.2-4.3)], recent family illness [AOR=2.4, 95% CI (1.4-4.4)], and a good awareness about SHI [AOR=4.4, 95% CI (2.4-7.8)] showed significant association with WTP for SHI. The main reasons for not WTP were thinking the government should cover the cost, preferring out-pocket payment and the provided SHI scheme does not cover all the health care costs health care providers lost interest in pay for SHI. Conclusion and Recommendation. The majority of health care providers were not willing to pay for the introduced SHI scheme. The provided SHI scheme should be clear and provide special consideration for health care providers as the majority of them receives free health care service from their employer health care institution. Also, the government, health professional associations, and other concerned stakeholders should provide awareness creation programs by targeting low and middle-level health professionals in order to increase WTP for SHI among health care providers.

Information about Health Care Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 6-53
Author(s):  
Alex Rajczi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Single Payer ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
The Government ◽  
Universal Health

One cannot discuss the ethics of health policy without understanding how health systems work, so this chapter provides background on the American health system before and after the Affordable Care Act. It also describes two universal health insurance systems the U.S. could adopt. In Canada’s single-payer system, the government serves as the basic insurer for the entire population. In the regulated-market systems of Switzerland and the Netherlands, citizens must purchase health insurance through private companies, and the government’s main jobs are providing subsidies to less wealthy individuals and ensuring that insurance companies deal fairly with citizens. The chapter concludes by examining the core ideas behind consumer-driven health care, a set of specific policies that conservatives often add to their health care proposals.

How Does Cabinet Instability Affect Political Performance? Portfolio Volatility and Health Care Cost Containment in Parliamentary Democracies

1998 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Huber
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cost Containment ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Parliamentary Democracies ◽  
Political Performance ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Government

This article explores the relationship between cabinet instability and political performance in parliamentary democracies. I develop two theoretical arguments about how cabinet instability should affect government effectiveness, and I use these to define several measures of instability. The first argument suggests that instability in the partisan composition of cabinets should make it difficult for governments to adopt and implement new policy programs. The second argument suggests that instability in the partisan control of portfolios within the government (portfolio volatility) should make it difficult for cabinet ministers to obtain relevant information during policy formulation and implementation. I test both arguments by examining the short- and long-run effect of the instability variables on success at health care cost containment. The analysis indicates that short-run increases in portfolio volatility present problems for government decision makers, but in the long run, unstable systems are able to address the problem that instability poses.

scholarly journals “When the Government Changes, the Card Will Also Change”: Questioning Identity in Biometric Smartcards for National Health Insurance (RSBY) in India

1969 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Ecks
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
National Health ◽  
Biometric Identification ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Rural Poor ◽  
State Authority ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Stability

Since the mid-2000s, government initiatives in India have been gripped by the idea that biometric identification is more efficient than any form of paper-based documentation. In this article, I explore how new health care schemes in India have adopted this technocratic promise. On the basis of ethnographic research in Karnataka, I describe how enrolments for biometric smartcards for RSBY insurance proceeds. These enrolments are meant to turn the rural poor into consumer citizens, yet the RSBY cards elicit unexpected responses from the beneficiaries. Instead of reproducing state authority, the new ID cards become a fulcrum for questioning the stability of government.

scholarly journals A Note on Income Effects and Health Care Cost Growth in Medicare

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Technical Change ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Medicare Beneficiary ◽  
Budget Constraint ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Income Effects ◽  
Cost Growth

Abstract This paper sets out a model of technical change and health care cost growth for a representative Medicare beneficiary facing a budget constraint. Derivation of an explicit expression for health care cost growth shows how technological change and preferences, including income effects, affect cost growth. The analysis highlights the role of the 76% subsidy from current taxpayers to Medicare beneficiaries for purchase of health insurance. This subsidy insulates beneficiaries from the income effects of cost growth by shifting the costs and income effects to taxpayers. Simulations show that over the next 10–20 years, income effects will have little effect on cost growth in Medicare.

scholarly journals Assessing Health Insurance Coverage Characteristics and Impact on Health Care Cost, Worry, and Access

2017 ◽  
Vol 177 (12) ◽  
pp. 1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyse R. Park ◽  
Anne C. Kirchhoff ◽  
Ryan D. Nipp ◽  
Karen Donelan ◽  
Wendy M. Leisenring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage

scholarly journals Health Insurance Support on Maternal Health Care: Evidence from Survey Data in India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imtiyaz Ali ◽  
Saddaf Naaz Akhtar ◽  
Bal Govind Chauhan ◽  
Manzoor Ahmad Malik ◽  
Kapil Dev Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Maternal Health Care ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
The Government

AbstractMaternal healthcare financing is key to the smooth functioning of maternal health systems in a country. In India, maternal healthcare persists as a significant public health issue. Adequate health insurance could transform the utilization of maternal health care services to prevent maternal consequences. This paper aims to examine the health insurance policies that cover maternal health and their performance in India. The unit-level social consumption data on health by the National Sample Survey Organizations (NSSO), conducted in India (2017-18), is used. Bi-variate analysis, logistic regression, and propensity scoring matching (PSM) are used to evaluate the coverage of health insurance coverage on women’s maternal health care utilization. Our findings suggest that spending on health insurance can benefit pregnant women, especially among the poor, without financial stress. The study has also minimized the financial burden and prevent high-risk pregnancy-related complications and consequences. Also, there is a need for proactive and inclusive policy development by the Government of India to promote more health insurance schemes in the public and private sectors. This can bring down the risk of maternal mortality and also boost the Indian economy in terms of a better quality of life in the long run, and the way towards more just and more egalitarian societies.HighlightsAround 14.1% of Indian women are covered with health insurance schemes.Muslim women have the lowest health insurance coverage in India.Women covered with health insurance schemes has showed significant contributor to the better utilization of full ANC and institutional delivery compared to uncovered women in India.A proactive and inclusive policy development is needed by the Government of India to promote more for health insurance schemes better quality of life in the long run.

scholarly journals Health Expenditure Difference according to Individual Copayment in National Health Insurance System

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-232
Author(s):  
Ki C. Kim ◽  
Soon C. Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
South Korea ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
National Health ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Health Insurance System ◽  
National Health Insurance System ◽  
Medical Expenses ◽  
The Government

Background: South Korea adopt a mandatory national health care system covering all citizens and consisting of the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) and Medical Aid Program (MAP), which cover individuals of non-low and low Socioeconomic Status (SES), respectively. Objective: We investigated and compared the medical expenses per claim in South Korea for SES individuals, to predict health care expenditure and provide fundamental data regarding care for individuals with limited finances. Methods: The inpatient data on NHIS and MAP beneficiaries were derived from the National Health Insurance Statistical Annual Report of South Korea from 2011 to 2015. Medical expenses per claim for the NHIS and MAP were investigated by gender and age, and the ratio of expenses per claim under MAP to that under NHIS was calculated. Results: The ratio from 2011 to 2015 was consistently larger than 1 and increased at an inconsistent rate with each consecutive age group until 30-39 years, and decreased thereafter (Males: 1.09-3.47, Females: 1.07-1.95). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that higher medical expenditures and longer durations of claim in the low SES group may become obstacles to developing a sustainable health care system. The government should induce social activities of working-age low-SES people to reduce the burden on the government and help them lead a healthy life.

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