Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP15981
Authors: Maciej Husiatyski; Tobias Klein; Misja Mikkers
Abstract: Price transparency is often viewed as an effective way to encourage price shopping and thereby lower health care expenditure. Using individual claims data for 6 frequent, non-emergency dermatological procedures, we estimate the short-run effect of unexpected publication of prices by a major Dutch health insurer on spending and provider choice. Visits to the price transparency website surged, but spending, the likelihood to visit a new provider, distance traveled, and type of provider visited remained unaffected.
Keywords: price transparency; healthcare demand; provider choice
JEL Codes: I11; I13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Price transparency (D49) | healthcare spending (H51) |
| Price transparency (D49) | provider choice (D10) |