This paper examines the factors that affect plan choice in a public health insurance program. West Virginia recently redesigned its state Medicaid program, offering members a choice between two plans — a basic plan and an enhanced plan. The latter plan includes more benefits, but requires...

Pigovian taxes are time-honored responses to negative externalities in the commercial world: firms that pollute must pay the costs of the damage they do to their broader community. Such localization of costs to those who create them seems rational and fair. But when Pigovian taxes are applied to...

People who contract foodborne illness can become sick, hospitalized, and can even die. Food irradiation is a proven technology that can eradicate 99% of foodborne illness sources. With expected growth in irradiation-treated foods, consumers’ attitude toward and willingness to purchase...

This research examines how people choose among different public health insurance plans and assesses the factors that influence their choice. The authors explore two types of choice: active choice, in which consumers explicitly choose a plan, and passive/no choice, in which consumers take no...