Working Paper: NBER ID: w3884
Authors: Victor R. Fuchs
Abstract: This paper explains why one in seven Americans has no health insurance, and compares the casualty and the social insurance models of health insurance. The paper discusses the relationship among national health insurance (NHI) , the cost of care, and the health of the population, and it considers the prospects for NHI in the United States in the short and the long run. Four explanations for the absence of NHI in the United States distrust of government, heterogeneity of the population, a robust voluntary sector, and lack of noblesse oblige -- are evaluated in the light of recent political, social, and economic trends.
Keywords: health insurance; national health insurance; health policy
JEL Codes: I13; I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Distrust of government (H12) | Lack of NHI (I19) |
| Heterogeneity of the population (J11) | Lack of NHI (I19) |
| Robust voluntary sector (L31) | Lack of NHI (I19) |
| Lack of noblesse oblige (D64) | Lack of NHI (I19) |
| Lack of NHI (I19) | Increased uninsured rates (I13) |
| Increased uninsured rates (I13) | Health outcomes (I14) |
| Societal values (A13) | Healthcare policy outcomes (I18) |