Issues in Insurance Design: A Public Option and Wealth Inequality Under High-Deductible Insurance

This project is divided into two sets of analyses. One will empirically evaluate the relationship between high-deductible coverage and wealth inequality, and will be done in collaboration with Dr. Sherry Glied and her team at New York University. For these analyses, data will be derived from the National Health Interview Survey and Dr. Zewde will apply for access to Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. The second set of analyses aims to examine the design of a public option as a strategy for lowering the out-of-pocket costs for consumers with private insurance. The public option analysis and trade-offs will be explicated from the consumer’s perspective.