1. Market socialism and community rating in health insurance
- Author
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Frech, H.E., III and Zweifel, Peter
- Subjects
Pricing -- Analysis ,Socialism -- Economic aspects ,Markets (Economics) -- Analysis ,Health insurance -- Economic aspects ,Product price ,Business, general ,Business ,Economics - Abstract
Almost 100 years ago, Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek argued that a socialist state could not determine marginal cost prices and therefore could not allocate resources rationally. Oskar Lange and Abba Lerner responded with the market socialist model. Subsequent scholars have refined the model (Leeman, Roemer). Views on market socialism for an entire economy are mixed (Phelps, S h lei fer and Vishny, Roemer). We briefly review the debate. We argue that a form of market socialism exists and is especially important in education, health care, and health insurance. In these sectors, prices are often set or restricted centrally, while many providers are state-owned, nonprofit, or mutual firms. We argue in favor of applying market socialist principles to health care and to health insurance policy. In particular, we show that these principles imply that community rating of health insurance is a source of major inefficiencies and harmful regulatory pressure. We suggest moving in the market socialist direction --toward marginal cost pricing and therefore away from community rating. The desire for universal or expanded coverage can be fulfilled by explicit, politically transparent subsidies paid to consumers who are both poor and high risk. Comparative Economic Studies (2017) 59, 405-427. doi: 10.1057/s41294-0170027-3; published online 9 June 2017 Keywords: health insurance, market socialism, quasi-markets, pricing, community rating, new public management, corporatization JEL Classification: 113, P51, P27, 118, D47, B24, D02, L31, INTRODUCTION The socialist calculation debate began almost 100 years ago when Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek argued that a socialist state could not determine marginal cost prices and therefore [...]
- Published
- 2017
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