Price and the demand for nongroup health insurance

Inquiry. 2006 Summer;43(2):122-34. doi: 10.5034/inquiryjrnl_43.2.122.

Abstract

In light of recent interest in tax credits and other price-based incentives to stimulate the purchase of insurance, this study estimates the price elasticity of demand for nongroup health insurance for single workers without access to employer-sponsored insurance. Our premium measure explicitly accounts for two components that have not been examined in previous studies: 1) health status, and 2) the effect of state-level premium rating regulations. We estimate a price elasticity of -.59, which, given the low rate of initial coverage in our sample (16.4%), translates to a small effect on the uninsured.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Female
  • Financing, Personal / economics*
  • Government Regulation*
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Insurance, Health / economics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Econometric
  • Social Class