Do you think Canada's universal health care program can alleviate problems caused by moral hazard and adverse selection in the private insurance markets? Why or why not? John's utility curve over total wealth is given by U(W) =VW (i.e. square root of W). Suppose that he has a 50% chance of being healthy. If he is healthy, he gets all his wealth-$10,000. If he becomes sick, he only has $3,600 remaining after medical expenditures. Calculate John's wealth and utility when he does and does not get sick, his expected utility, expected wealth, and his expected loss. Now he has the option of buying health insurance Calculate the maximum amount John would be willing to pay to fully insure against the cost of the sickness. How much is the actuarially fair and risk premium? Suppose that society consists of large, equal numbers of identical male and identical female consumers. Male consumers are similar to John; female consumers differ only in that they face a 25% probability of being sick, but are otherwise identical to male consumers. Suppose that insurance companies can only offer actuarily fair price contracts, and can offer different contracts to men and women. Do markets form, and if so, at what price(s)?
Do you think Canada's universal health care program can alleviate problems caused by moral hazard and adverse selection in the private insurance markets? Why or why not? John's utility curve over total wealth is given by U(W) =VW (i.e. square root of W). Suppose that he has a 50% chance of being healthy. If he is healthy, he gets all his wealth-$10,000. If he becomes sick, he only has $3,600 remaining after medical expenditures. Calculate John's wealth and utility when he does and does not get sick, his expected utility, expected wealth, and his expected loss. Now he has the option of buying health insurance Calculate the maximum amount John would be willing to pay to fully insure against the cost of the sickness. How much is the actuarially fair and risk premium? Suppose that society consists of large, equal numbers of identical male and identical female consumers. Male consumers are similar to John; female consumers differ only in that they face a 25% probability of being sick, but are otherwise identical to male consumers. Suppose that insurance companies can only offer actuarily fair price contracts, and can offer different contracts to men and women. Do markets form, and if so, at what price(s)?
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