How Cost Sharing Reduced Medical Spending of Participants in the Health Insurance Experiment

Emmett B. Keeler, John E. Rolph

ResearchPosted on rand.org 1983Published in: JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association, v. 249, no. 16, Apr. 22, 1983, p. 2220-2222

In a controlled trial of the effects of medical insurance on spending and health status, much less was spent on medical care when patients had to pay for it themselves. They economized by being less prone to seek treatment or be hospitalized for their illnesses. The average cost per hospitalization and per ambulatory episode was the same for all insurance plans.

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Document Details

  • Availability: Non-RAND
  • Year: 1983
  • Pages: 3
  • Document Number: EP-198304-01

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