Replication data for: Are Health Insurance Markets Competitive?

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Leemore S. Dafny

Version:  View help for Version V1

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Project Citation: 

Dafny, Leemore S. Replication data for: Are Health Insurance Markets Competitive? Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2010. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-11. https://doi.org/10.3886/E112365V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary To gauge the competitiveness of the group health insurance industry, I investigate whether health insurers charge higher premiums, ceteris paribus, to more profitable firms. Such "direct price discrimination" is feasible only in imperfectly competitive settings. Using a proprietary national database of health plans offered by a sample of large, multisite firms from 1998-2005, I find firms with positive profit shocks subsequently face higher premium growth, even for the same health plans. Moreover, within a given firm, those sites located in concentrated insurance markets experience the greatest premium increases. The findings suggest health care insurers are exercising market power in an increasing number of geographic markets. (JEL G22, I11, I18, L11, L25)

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      G22 Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
      I11 Analysis of Health Care Markets
      I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
      L11 Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
      L25 Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope


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V1 [2019-10-11]

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