The effect of private health insurance on medical care utilization and self-assessed health in Germany

Hullegie P and Tobias Klein

Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers from HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York

Abstract: In Germany, employees are generally obliged to participate in the public health insurance system, where coverage is universal, co-payments and deductables are moderate, and premia are based on income. However, they may buy private insurance instead if their income exceeds the compulsory insurance threshold. Here, premia are based on age and health, individuals may choose to what extent they are covered, and deductables and co-payments are common. In this paper we estimate the effect of private insurance coverage on the number of doctor visits and self-assessed health. Variation in income around the compulsory insurance threshold provides a natural experiment that we exploit to control for selection into private insurance. We document that income is measured with error and suggest an approach to take this into account. We find negative effects of private insurance coverage on the number of doctor visits and positive effects on health.

Keywords: Private health insurance; medical care utilization; selection into insurance; natural experiment; regression discontinuity design; measurement error. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C31 I11 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-07
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 (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The effect of private health insurance on medical care utilization and self‐assessed health in Germany (2010)
Working Paper: The Effect of Private Health Insurance on Medical Care Utilization and Self-Assessed Health in Germany (2010)
Working Paper: The effect of private health insurance on medical care utilization and self-assessed health in Germany (2010)
Working Paper: The effect of private health insurance on medical care utilization and self-assessed health in Germany (2009)
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