For Expert Researcher ONLY Assessment 2-4
THE MARKET FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
Production Function
Identifies how various inputs can be combined and transformed into a final output.
Diseconomies of Scale
An increase in all inputs results in a less than proportionate increase in output. A state which occurs
when long-run average costs increase to the point where inefficiency results.
Increasing Returns
Occurs when an increase in all inputs results in a more than proportionate increase in output.
Cost Function
A relationship that measures the total costs of a particular provision of services.
Community Rating
Applies when each member of an insurance pool pays the same premium per person or per family for
the same coverage.
Adverse Selection
Exists when people with high risk health-related characteristics increase the total cost of health insurance
provided.
Experience Rating
Occurs when insurance companies base premiums on past levels of payouts, which is often done for car
or homeowners insurance.
Private Insurance
Usually supplied by providers for profit, although it can also be offered by public bodies or by nonprofit
organizations.
Moral Hazard
Refers to the risk of an individual’s behavior being influenced by potential financial gain.
Managed Care Organizations
Groups providing coordination and delivery of services to improve quality and outcomes while containing
costs. These types of plans typically involve contractual arrangements with providers, and enrollment on
behalf of consumers.
Social Insurance
A plan in which taxpayers (either individual or corporate) fund health care services which are distributed
by the government.
CREDITS Subject Matter Expert:
Interactive Design:
Darleen Barnard
Tara Schiller
©1998-2017 HealthWyse LLC 1 of 2 The Market for Health Insurance...
Instructional Designer:
Project Manager:
Sherryl Stern
Julie Greunke
L i c e n s e d u n d e r a C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n 3 . 0 L i c e n s e .
©1998-2017 HealthWyse LLC 2 of 2 The Market for Health Insurance...