Price Elasticities and Social Health Insurance Choice in Germany: A Dynamic Panel Data Approach

Stefan Greß, Marcus Tamm, Harald Tauchmann and Juergen Wasem

No 28, RWI Discussion Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung

Abstract: In 1996 free choice of health insurers has been introduced in the German social health insurance scheme. Competition between insurers was supposed to increase efficiency. A crucial precondition for effective competition among health insurers is that consumers search for lower-priced health insurers.We test this hypothesis by estimating the price elasticities of insurers? market shares. We use unique panel data and specify a dynamic panel model to explain changes in market shares. Estimation results suggest that short-run price elasticities are smaller than previously found by other studies. In the long-run, however, estimation results suggest substantial price effects.

Keywords: Competition; generalized method of moments; health insurance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwidps:28

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