Cover Image
QR Code

How product standardization affects choice: Evidence from the Massachusetts Health Insurance Exchange.

This paper examines the effect of choice architecture on Massachusetts' Health Insurance Exchange. A policy change standardized cost-sharing parameters of plans across insurers and altered information presentation. Post-change, consumers chose more generous plans and different brands, but were not m...

Full description

Published in:Journal of Health Economics Vol. 50; pp. 71 - 86
Main Authors: Ericson, Keith M. Marzilli, Starc, Amanda
Format: research Journal Article
Published: Elsevier B.V. Dec2016
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=119782169&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 119782169
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        01676296
        JOH
      jtl: Journal of Health Economics
      issn: 01676296
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Dec2016
      vid: 50
      pid: 1004
      pub: Elsevier B.V.
    artinfo:
      ui:
        119782169
        119782169
        NLM27693893
        119782169
        10.1016/j.jhealeco.2016.09.005
        NLM27693893
        119782169
      ppf: 71
      ppct: 15
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: How product standardization affects choice: Evidence from the Massachusetts Health Insurance Exchange.
      aug:
        au:
          Ericson, Keith M. Marzilli
          Starc, Amanda
        affil: Boston University, Boston, MA
      sug:
        subj:
          Decision Making
          Health Insurance Exchanges
          Insurance
          Massachusetts
          Insurance, Health
          Human
      ab: This paper examines the effect of choice architecture on Massachusetts' Health Insurance Exchange. A policy change standardized cost-sharing parameters of plans across insurers and altered information presentation. Post-change, consumers chose more generous plans and different brands, but were not more price-sensitive. We use a discrete choice model that allows the policy to affect how attributes are valued to decompose the policy's effects into a valuation effect and a product availability effect. The brand shifts are largely explained by the availability effect and the generosity shift by the valuation effect. A hypothetical choice experiment replicates our results and explores alternative counterfactuals.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N