Basic versus supplementary health insurance: the role of cost effectiveness and prevalence

Jan Boone

No 10233, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: In a model where patients face budget constraints that make some treatments unaffordable, we ask which treatments should be covered by universal basic insurance and which by private voluntary insurance. We argue that both cost effectiveness and prevalence are important if the government wants to maximize the health gain that it gets from its health budget. In particular, basic insurance should cover treatments that are used by people who at the margin buy treatments that are highly cost effective. This is not the same as covering treatments that are themselves highly cost effective

Keywords: Universal basic health insurance; Voluntary supplementary insurance; Public vs private insurance; Access to care; Cost effectiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D82 H51 I13 I14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ias
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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