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...

The new Medicare Part D program provides prescription drug coverage for older Americans through highly subsidized and tightly regulated plans offered by private insurance firms. For most eligible individuals without coverage from other sources, obtaining Part D coverage would be rational, but it...

Aims: We analyzed the redistributive outcomes for sickness benefits using a typology of social insurance institutions compared to external factors for sickness risk. Material: Unbalanced panel data of the Luxembourg Income Study on household earnings, sickness benefits and labour force...

Die Entschlüsselung des menschlichen Erbgutes hat neben großen Hoffnungen auf ein besseres Verständnis und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten schwerer Krankheiten eine Reihe von ethischen, sozialen und ökonomischen Fragen aufgeworfen. Die ethischen und sozialen Aspekte umfassen Fragen der...

The study explores the importance of social influence and the availability of health insurance on maternal care utilization in Ghana through the use of antenatal care services. A number of studies have found that access to health insurance plays a critical role in women's decision to utilize...

This paper investigates the topping-up scheme in health insurance when both public and private firms use linear contracts. First, the case with identical consumers is analyzed. The optimal public coverage is derived both when the firms play simultaneously and when they play sequentially. In the...

We compare the alternative approaches for regulating genetic information in the health insurance market when prevention measures are available. In the model, firms offer insurance contracts to consumers who are initially uninformed of their risk type but can obtain such information by performing...