In the absence of a perfect risk adjustment scheme, reimbursing health insurers' costs can reduce risk selection in community-rated health insurance markets. In this paper, we develop a model in which insurers determine the cost efficiency of health care and have incentives for risk selection....

The New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) program was implemented in response to illness-led poverty and poor state of healthcare in rural China. Supported by government subsidy, more and more poor rural households are now enrolled in the NCMS. This paper investigates the impact of the NCMS...

This article examines the choice of health care in Japan by patients suffering from the common cold. Original data were obtained from a survey conducted by the authors. Empirical results show that the price elasticity of demand for medical services is between 0.23 and 0.36. This estimated price...

Seit Sommer dieses Jahres sind die Eckpunkte der Gesundheitsreform 2006 bekannt. Für Markus Lüngen, Andreas Gerber, Universität zu Köln, und Karl W. Lauterbach, MdB, ist das Modell des Gesundheitsfonds, das im Mittelpunkt der Maßnahmen steht, kein »Erfolgsmodell«. Die möglichen positiven...

This paper analyzes possible justifications for government interventions in health and old age insurance and illustrates the theoretical considerations by the case of Chile where a comprehensive social sector reform took place in the 1980s. It is shown that health insurances can suffer from...