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Arnold Kling  
PERMANENT LINK | APRIL 7, 2005

Health Insurance Administrative Costs

Arnold Kling
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Gas Price Conspiracy?... Academic Self-selection...

In this essay, I suggest how health insurance administrative costs could be reduced.


A management consultant would recommend eliminating unnecessary interfaces. For example, you could eliminate state regulators and employers from the insurance process. Having 51 different sets of state health regulations means that it is impossible for health insurers to offer the same plans across state lines. This makes it harder to create large risk pools. It also means that various classes of health care providers can lobby their legislators to mandate coverage for their specialties, rather than allowing insurance companies to offer simpler, limited packages of protection.

For Discussion. Can it be justified that private health insurance must vary by state to comply with state regulations but Medicare does not have to do so?

CATEGORIES: Economics of Health Care


COMMENTS (2 to date)
Robert Schwartz writes:

Self-insured employer plans are not regulated under state laws. They are subect to the Federal benefits law ERISA.

Posted April 7, 2005 9:49 AM
Lawrance George Lux writes:

I have suggested Medicare/Medicaid come out with a Bluebook, listing Prices it will pay for all medical procedures, while curtailing ability for Health Care Providers to demand more. Not a Market-oriented Solution, but it establishes a controlable Monopoly position. lgl

Posted April 7, 2005 1:00 PM
Comments for this entry have been closed
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