Effect of Health Insurance in India: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Anup Malani (), Phoebe Holtzman, Kosuke Imai, Cynthia Kinnan, Morgen Miller (), Shailender Swaminathan (), Alessandra Voena (), Bartek Woda () and Gabriella Conti
Additional contact information
Anup Malani: University of Chicago
Kosuke Imai: Harvard University
Morgen Miller: University of Chicago
Shailender Swaminathan: Brown University
Alessandra Voena: Stanford University
Bartek Woda: Amazon

No 14913, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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: health insurance; health; randomized controlled trial; spillovers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I13 O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 53 pages
Date: 2021-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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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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