The lack of research on how the 2004 safety-related withdrawal of the drug Vioxx affected consumer drug utilization or outcomes for competitors is a missed opportunity to learn from the largest drug withdrawal event in history. Our study fills this void using state-level repeated cross section...

In the debate over the proposed establishment of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, much attention has been given to discussion of whether consumers are irrational or incompetent and therefore need paternalistic regulators to look after them, and whether inadequate consumer protection...

Despite the presence of many and diverse sellers of insurance in most markets, insurance prices in some markets remain subject to regulation by state governments. Insurance rate regulation has a long and storied history in this country and the reasons for its continued existence are subject to...

State regulation of rates is sometimes used as a means to make automobile insurance more affordable to consumers by restricting insurer profits and pricing practices. Incentive distortions arising from this type of rate regulation might lead to higher accident rates and higher insurance loss...

We examine how use of antidepressant medications is influenced by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings about the increased risk of suicidality associated with pediatric antidepressant use. With individual-level data on antidepressant use from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we...

This paper examines the relationship between mergers and acquisitions, efficiency, and scale economies in the U.S. life insurance industry. We estimate cost and revenue efficiency over the period 1988-1995 using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The Malmquist methodology is used to measure...

We begin by providing an overview of the auto insurance system and the structure of the auto insurance market. We then turn to an analysis of the factors underlying the auto insurance price increases experienced in recent years. We find that the auto insurance inflation of the 1980s was caused...

This paper examines the relationship between mergers and acquisitions, efficiency, and scale economies in the US life insurance industry. We estimate cost and revenue efficiency over the period 1988-1995 using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The Malmquist methodology is used to measure changes...

This paper investigates the effects of labor market discrimination on the self employment returns of those discriminated against. It demonstrates that, in situations of imperfect information, labor market discrimination can "spill over" into markets relevant to self employment, creating...