Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance and the Promise of Health Insurance Reform

Thomas Buchmueller () and Alan C. Monheit

No 14839, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: The central role that employers play in financing health care is a distinctive feature of the U.S. health care system, and the provision of health insurance through the workplace has important implications well beyond its role as source of health care financing. In this paper, we consider the "goodness of fit" of ESI in the current economic and health insurance environments and in light of prospects for a vigorous national debate over shape of health care reform. The main issue that we explore is whether ESI can have a viable role in health system reform efforts or whether such coverage will need to be significantly modified or even abandoned as reform seeks to address important issues in the efficient provision and equitable distribution of health insurance coverage, to create expanded health plan choices and competition in health insurance markets, and to structure incentives for the more efficient use of health services.

JEL-codes: I11 I18 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ias
Note: EH
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Published as Thomas C. Buchmueller & Alan C. Monheit, 2009. "Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance and the Promise of Health Insurance Reform," INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, vol 46(2), pages 187-202.

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