Paying a Premium on Your Premium? Consolidation in the US Health Insurance Industry

We examine whether and to what extent consolidation in the US health insurance industry has contributed to higher employer-sponsored insurance premiums. We exploit the differential impact across local markets of a national merger of two insurers to identify the causal effect of concentration on prem...

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Vydáno v:The American economic review Ročník 102; číslo 2; s. 1161 - 1185
Hlavní autoři: Dafny, Leemore, Duggan, Mark, Ramanarayanan, Subramaniam
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:angličtina
Vydáno: United States American Economic Association 01.04.2012
American Economic Assoc
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ISSN:0002-8282, 1944-7981
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Shrnutí:We examine whether and to what extent consolidation in the US health insurance industry has contributed to higher employer-sponsored insurance premiums. We exploit the differential impact across local markets of a national merger of two insurers to identify the causal effect of concentration on premiums. Using data for large groups, we estimate premiums in average markets were approximately seven percentage points higher by 2007 due to increases in local concentration from 1998–2006. We also find evidence consolidation facilitates the exercise of monopsonistic power vis-à-vis physicians, leading to reductions in their absolute employment and earnings relative to other healthcare workers. JEL: G22, I13
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ISSN:0002-8282
1944-7981
DOI:10.1257/aer.102.2.1161