How Informational Imperfections Lead to Sub-Optimal Solutions in Health Savings Plan and Potential Remedies in a Competitive Marketplace

<p>In the growing trend of consumer-driven health insurance, more consumers than ever have access to a high-deductible health plan paired with a health savings account, where consumers can save pre-tax income for healthcare but also face higher out-of-pocket prices, in hopes that consumers will become smarter shoppers. The Health Savings Plan is successful at lowering costs, but at the expense of consumers lowering their adherence to healthcare, raising health risk. Even in a competitive market, HSP plan designs require smart shoppers and more active healthcare self-management, but without dealing with the informational imperfections that need to be overcome to encourage this intelligent consumerism. In order for HSPs to succeed, they need to be aligned with policy and innovations that mend these informational deficits, but even then, policy makers need to be aware that HSPs do not tackle the main problem in the US healthcare marketplace.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Dengg, Jacob Gene

Contributors dc:contributor

• Markus Schneider, Ph.D.

• Consumer-driven health insurance
• Health Savings Plan
• Healthcare self-management
• Economics
• Health and Medical Administration
• Health Economics
• Medicine and Health Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1652

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-2652