Competition among health insurers is widely considered to be a means of enhancing efficiency and containing costs in the health care system. In this paper, it is argued that this could be unsuccessful since health care providers hold a strong position on the market for health care services....

The United States has state of the art technology and world renowned expertise in medical treatment, yet in terms of healthcare it shows a dramatically poor performance in relation to the other industrialized countries. This situation is surprising, since one would expect that a free market...

Das Krankenversicherungssystem in Deutschland ist seit Jahren in der Kritik. Reformbedarf besteht sowohl bei der Gesetzlichen als auch bei der Privaten Krankenversicherung. Ist ein einheitlicher Versicherungsmarkt die Lösung? Peter Oberender und Jürgen Zerth, Universität Bayreuth, sehen in...

The effects of the Pension Fund Managers (PFMs) behavior on the foreign exchange market may be important, given the increasing size of their portfolio and their possible market power. Some authors argue that when big investors like PFMs trade large volumes in the foreign exchange market, they...

The effects of the Pension Fund Managers (PFM) behavior on the Foreign Exchange (FX) market may be important, given the size of their portfolio and their possible market power. Some authors argue that when big investors like PFM trade large vol-umes in the FX market, they may infl uence other...

The effects of the Pension Fund Managers (PFMs) behavior on the foreign exchange market may be important, given the increasing size of their portfolio and their possible market power. Some authors argue that when big investors like PFMs trade large volumes in the foreign exchange market, they...

We consider how patent rights and price regulation affect whether new drugs are marketed in a country, and how quickly. The analysis covers a large sample of 68 countries at all income levels and includes all drug launches over the period 1982-2002. It uses newly compiled information on legal...

In vertically differentiated repair markets with insured customers, insurance coverage increases price level, entry, and the high quality provider’s profits. In the market for pharmaceuticals, this should be taken into account when calculating the extent of patent periods.

Mutuals are institutions belonging to the Social Economy sector. They are private associations that form part of Complementary Social Welfare Systems, and they are well established in the European Community. In Spain, since they were included in the Law on Private Insurance of 1984, they no...

To date, there has been little data or empirical research on the determinants of doctors' earnings despite earnings having an important role in influencing the cost of health care, decisions on workforce participation and labour supply. This paper examines the determinants of annual earnings of...