In: Economics
Explain and (diagrammatically) illustrate the key aspects of “Complete v. Incomplete Contracts” in terms of US healthcare patients/consumers and US health insurance companies.
Use these adaptations of Bowles, Foley and Hollidays section headings to organize your progress:
An Ideal (and Unreal) World of Complete Health Insurance Contracts
A benchmark: The patient-payer case
Risk subject to an enforceable contract
The Real World of Incomplete Health Insurance Contracts
The insurer’s expected profit maximization
Why Wealth Matters: Equity and ??? (describe this)
A monopolistic insurer and a wealthy patient-consumer who ??? (describe this)
Competitive markets, wealth constraints and insurance market exclusion
Competitive insuring market and wealthy ???-investing insure
Wealth and the size and quality of healthcare services
Policy Application: Why subsidizing health insurance to the poor may enhance efficiency
What would be observable evidence of health insurance market exclusion if such a subsidy plan was enacted?