Run for cover now or later? The impact of premiums, threats and deadlines on private health insurance in Australia

Ellis, RP; Savage, E

Run for cover now or later? The impact of premiums, threats and deadlines on private health insurance in Australia

Ellis, RP Savage, E

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics, 2008, 8 (4), pp. 257 - 277
Issue Date:: 2008-06-23

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ellis, RP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Savage, E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2690-3975	en_US
dc.date.available	2008-06-02	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-06-23	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics, 2008, 8 (4), pp. 257 - 277	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1389-6563	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9975
dc.description.abstract	Between 1997 and 2000 the Australian government introduced three policy reforms that aimed to increase private health insurance coverage and reduce public hospital demand. The first provided income-based tax incentives; the second gave an across-the-board 30% premium subsidy; and the third introduced selective age-based premium increases for those enrolling after a deadline. Together the reforms increased enrolment by 50% and reduced the average age of enrollees. The deadline appeared to induce consumers to enroll now rather than delay. We estimate a model of individual insurance decisions and examine the effects of the reforms on the age and income distribution of those with private cover. We interpret the major driver of the increased enrollment as a response to a deadline and an advertising blitz, rather than a pure price response. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10754-008-9040-4	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Health Policy & Services	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Data Collection	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Models, Econometric	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Policy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fees and Charges	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rate Setting and Review	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Insurance Coverage	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Insurance, Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Insurance Selection Bias	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Taxes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	National Health Programs	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Policy Making	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Privatization	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.title	Run for cover now or later? The impact of premiums, threats and deadlines on private health insurance in Australia	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	140208 Health Economics	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	8	en_US

Abstract:

Between 1997 and 2000 the Australian government introduced three policy reforms that aimed to increase private health insurance coverage and reduce public hospital demand. The first provided income-based tax incentives; the second gave an across-the-board 30% premium subsidy; and the third introduced selective age-based premium increases for those enrolling after a deadline. Together the reforms increased enrolment by 50% and reduced the average age of enrollees. The deadline appeared to induce consumers to enroll now rather than delay. We estimate a model of individual insurance decisions and examine the effects of the reforms on the age and income distribution of those with private cover. We interpret the major driver of the increased enrollment as a response to a deadline and an advertising blitz, rather than a pure price response. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9975