In light of recent interest in tax credits and other price-based incentives to stimulate the purchase of insurance, this study estimates the price elasticity of demand for nongroup health insurance for single workers without access to employer-sponsored insurance. Our premium measure explicitly accounts for two components that have not been examined in previous studies: 1) health status, and 2) the effect of state-level premium rating regulations. We estimate a price elasticity of -.59, which, given the low rate of initial coverage in our sample (16.4%), translates to a small effect on the uninsured.
The implied elasticities are comparable with results found in previous studies using very different data. Our estimates indicate that policy proposals for a Medicare buy-in or a nongroup tax credit will have a modest impact on take-up rates of near-elderly retirees.
This study examines the effect of price on the demand for health insurance by early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. The analysis is based on administrative data from a medium sized employer and takes advantage of a natural experiment created by the firm's health insurance contribution policy. The amount the firm contributes toward retiree health insurance coverage depends on when a person retired and her years of service at that date. As a result of this policy, there is considerable variation in out-of-pocket premiums faced by individuals in the data, but this variation is independent of the non-price attributes of the health insurance plans offered, and plausibly exogenous to individual characteristics that are likely to affect the demand for insurance. We find that price has a statistically significant but small effect on the decision to take up coverage. The implied elasticities are very similar to results found in previous studies using very different data.
Summary An 8-month survey was made on the flavor of raw milk supplies from four major Ohio markets. A total of 317 milk samples obtained from farm bulk tanks and from tank trucks were examined fresh and after storage at 38–40 F for 48 hours. Approximately 40% of the industrial producer's fresh milk supply had highly satisfactory flavor quality and the flavor of 10% of the shipments was completely undesirable. The combining of the producers' milk in the tank pick-up truck resulted in milk for the plants having a flavor that was neither very good nor very bad. The most common flavor defect was “feed” but other flavors frequently encountered were “cowy” and “rancid.” A significant flavor deterioration occurred in the raw milk during its storage for 48 hr at 38–40 F. The principal changes involved the development of such flavors as “rancid,” “unclean” and acid-associated flavors such as “malty.” The rancid flavor was a common defect in the milk after storage during the winter season, and unclean, musty, oily and the acid-associated flavors were frequently found in the milk after storage during the summer season. The results suggest the need for more adequate milk flavor control measures and that milk should be processed as soon as possible after reaching the plant if it is to possess the finest possible flavor.
Summary An 8-month survey of the bacteriological quality of bulk tank produced fluid milk supplies for four major markets in Ohio, was made utilizing the Standard Plate Count (SPC), the preliminary incubation count (PI), the thermoduric (pasteurized milk) count, and the coliform count. In terms of maximum standards of 200,000 and 100,000 organisms/ml, the SPC would have eliminated 13% and 20% of the milk samples, respectively. A SPC of 50,000/ml, a PI count of 200,000/ml, a thermoduric count of 500/ml, and a coliform count of 100/ml would have eliminated 37%, 34%, 40%, and 40%, respectively, of the samples but not all of the samples eliminated by one test were eliminated by another test. All of the tests employed showed a seasonal trend especially in the high count categories but the trend was less noticeable in the results of the preliminary incubation count. A combination of two of the methods was superior to any single bacteriological method employed in detecting unsatisfactory milk. Of the tests used, the combination of the thermoduric count (500/ml) and the coliform count (100/ml) was the most effective in the detection of unsatisfactory milk samples.
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