We investigate whether people enrolled into voluntary health insurance (VHI) substitute public consumption with private (opt out) or just enlarge their private consumption, without reducing reliance upon public provisions (top up). We study the case of Italy, where a mixed insurance system is in...

In this paper we assess the relative effectiveness of user charges and administrative waiting times as a tool for rationing public healthcare in Italy. We measure demand elasticities by estimating a simultaneous equation model of GP primary care visits, public specialist consultations and...

In this paper we assess the relative effectiveness of user charges and administrative waiting times as a tool for rationing public healthcare in Italy. We measure demand elasticities by estimating a simultaneous equation model of GP primary care visits, public specialist consultations and...

Theoretical considerations suggest that nonlinear health care price schedules have heterogeneous effects on health care demand. In this paper, we develop and apply a finite mixture bivariate probit model to analyze whether there are heterogeneous reactions to the introduction of a nonlinear...

We review the evidence on decision making in complex choice situations—i.e., situations where there are many alternatives and/or where attributes of alternatives are difficult to understand. We focus on choices about health insurance, health care, and retirement planning, all of which are very...

In an attempt to curb the continuing surge in health care expenditure, many governments either mandate or encourage managed care (MC) plans in health insurance. Since MC plans limit patient choice with regard to physicians, hospitals, drugs, and other dimensions of health care, a natural...

Whereas in the United States, managed care (MC) plans have been part of the health care system for quite some time, they are still little known in European systems. In Germany in particular, policy makers would like to see a broad majority of the insured population shift to MC plans, hoping to...

This empirical paper, conducted with survey data on working age adults from the 2006 Medical Expenditures Panel (MEPS), assesses the determinants of office-based doctor visits and emergency room visits. Office-based doctor services are a “normal good” which increase in demand with income...

Individuals seeking health care in Senegal, face different options in terms of which type of health service to use (public, private or traditional). This article identifies the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that influence the use of health care providers in Senegal using a...