strong position on the market for health care services. Physicians exert a type of monopolistic power which can be described … counterbalance the strong bargaining position of the physicians. Thus, health care expenditure is higher, financing either extra … profits for physicians or a higher number of them. In addition, health insurers do not have an incentive to contract …

Primary care physicians have two roles: the healer and the gatekeeper. We show that, due to information asymmetries … truly sick and shirkers, will strictly prefer physicians who give priority to healing. The choice between work and sick … leave thus lies, essentially, with the patient. Interviews with Norwegian primary care physicians confirm this: Our …