Effect of Health Insurance in India: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Anup Malani, Phoebe Holtzman, Kosuke Imai, Cynthia Kinnan, Morgen Miller, Shailender Swaminathan, Alessandra Voena (avoena@uchicago.edu), Bartosz Woda and Gabriella Conti
Additional contact information
Anup Malani: University of Chicago
Kosuke Imai: Harvard University
Morgen Miller: University of Chicago
Shailender Swaminathan: Sai University
Alessandra Voena: The University of Chicago
Bartosz Woda: University of Chicago

No 2021-055, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: We report on a large randomized controlled trial of hospital insurance for above-poverty-line Indian households. Households were assigned to free insurance, sale of insurance, sale plus cash transfer, or control. To estimate spillovers, the fraction of households offered insurance varied across villages. The opportunity to purchase insurance led to 59.91% uptake and access to free insurance to 78.71% uptake. Access increased insurance utilization. Positive spillover effects on utilization suggest learning from peers. Many beneficiaries were unable to use insurance, demonstrating hurdles to expanding access via insurance. Across a range of health measures, we estimate no significant impacts on health.

Keywords: randomized control trials; hospital insurance; India; peer effects; Spillover effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I13 I14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-hea, nep-ias and nep-ltv
Note: FI, HI
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Malani ... -insurance-india.pdf First version, December 2021 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Effect of health insurance in India: a randomized controlled trial (2021)
Working Paper: Effect of Health Insurance in India: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2021)
Working Paper: Effect of Health Insurance in India: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2021)
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