SUMMARY Market‐based solutions are often proposed to improve health care quality; yet evidence on the role of competition in quality in non‐hospital settings is sparse. We examine the relationship between competition and quality in home health care. This market is different from other...

Economic theory suggests that competition and information are complementary tools for promoting healthcare quality. The existing empirical literature has documented this effect only in the context of competition among existing firms. Extending this literature, we examine competition driven by...

Market-based health care reform proposals typically rely on 1) consumer choice among competing health plans, 2) premiums paid out-of-pocket for higher priced plans, and 3) a significant out- of-pocket premium-price elasticity of health plan choice. Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code...

Although employer-sponsored insurance is the primary source of health insurance for non-elderly individuals, premium growth and federal health insurance reform, including tax credits to purchase individual insurance, might decrease employers’ propensity to offer coverage. Using estimates from...

Health insurance markets in the United States are characterized by imperfect information, complex products, and substantial search frictions. Insurance agents and brokers play a significant role in helping employers navigate these problems. However, little is known about the relation between the...

Private insurance firms participating in Medicare can offer up to three principal plan types: coordinated care plans (CCPs), prescription drug plans (PDPs), and private fee for service (PFFS) plans. Firms can make entry and marketing decisions separately across plan types and geographic regions....

Prices set by fee-for-service Medicare have a direct effect on prices paid by private insurers throughout the health care system. While this link is widely recognized, there is disagreement about whether higher Medicare prices lead to lower or higher prices for private health insurance. We...

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will dramatically alter health insurance markets and the sources through which individuals obtain coverage. As the ACA is implemented, it is essential to monitor the intended and the unintended consequences of these regulations. To evaluate the changes in health...