Comments on: RAND Health Insurance Experiment http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:23:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: 7 Insurance Experiment Sites | Oct 10th 2011 http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-516424 7 Insurance Experiment Sites | Oct 10th 2011 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:00:40 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-516424 [...] Overcoming Bias : RAND Health Insurance ExperimentMay 8, 2007 If you remember only one medical study, it should be the RAND health insurance experiment, where [...] [...] Overcoming Bias : RAND Health Insurance ExperimentMay 8, 2007 If you remember only one medical study, it should be the RAND health insurance experiment, where [...]

]]> By: Overcoming Bias : The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-485485 Overcoming Bias : The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:45:03 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-485485 [...] Insurance Experiment. Many are comparing it favorably to the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which I call our best medical data ever. These new results are officially here, ungated here, and [...] [...] Insurance Experiment. Many are comparing it favorably to the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which I call our best medical data ever. These new results are officially here, ungated here, and [...]

]]> By: All the Care that Money Will Buy | Health & Fitness GOALS! http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-473902 All the Care that Money Will Buy | Health & Fitness GOALS! Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:59:43 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-473902 [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...] [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...]

]]> By: All the Care that Money Will Buy | The Health Care Blog http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-473873 All the Care that Money Will Buy | The Health Care Blog Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:39:44 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-473873 [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...] [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...]

]]> By: All the Care that Money Will Buy | John Goodman's Health Policy Blog | NCPA.org http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-472437 All the Care that Money Will Buy | John Goodman's Health Policy Blog | NCPA.org Wed, 11 May 2011 13:37:24 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-472437 [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...] [...] from some minor quibbling there was no negative impact on health from the higher [...]

]]> By: Dan Woodard http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-460463 Dan Woodard Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:58:15 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-460463 The Rand HIE study did NOT compare patients who got care free with patients who had to pay for the actual cost of their care; it investigated ONLY the effects of co-pays at the time of service. ALL the groups had excellent insurance. The MAXIMUM out-of-pocket annual cost was only $1000. The study concluded that co-pays reduced "inappropriate or unnecessary" medical care, but also reduced "appropriate or needed" medical care. As a doctor this seems obvious to me. Regardless of what they pay (full cash to completely free) patients come in if 1) they think they need help and 2) they think they can afford to be seen. Generally they have no way of knowing whether care is really needed. I have been in practice 30 years and have known a number of patients who though they needed help, couldn't afford it, and died. The Rand HIE study did NOT compare patients who got care free with patients who had to pay for the actual cost of their care; it investigated ONLY the effects of co-pays at the time of service. ALL the groups had excellent insurance. The MAXIMUM out-of-pocket annual cost was only $1000.

The study concluded that co-pays reduced “inappropriate or unnecessary” medical care, but also reduced “appropriate or needed” medical care.

As a doctor this seems obvious to me. Regardless of what they pay (full cash to completely free) patients come in if 1) they think they need help and 2) they think they can afford to be seen. Generally they have no way of knowing whether care is really needed. I have been in practice 30 years and have known a number of patients who though they needed help, couldn’t afford it, and died.

]]> By: We don’t wanna hear it « It’s Not Hard… but it could be http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-437095 We don’t wanna hear it « It’s Not Hard… but it could be Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:31:29 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-437095 [...] their ineffectiveness regarding the health of the American populace as a whole. See the evidence here and here, for instance. I have been in medicine for 38 years, and I was unfamiliar with [...] [...] their ineffectiveness regarding the health of the American populace as a whole. See the evidence here and here, for instance. I have been in medicine for 38 years, and I was unfamiliar with [...]

]]> By: Praying for a Solution « The Ruling Zeitgeist http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-436823 Praying for a Solution « The Ruling Zeitgeist Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:41:23 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-436823 [...] going to a witch doctor is just as worthwhile as going to the family doctor. And if we take a Hansonian view of heathcare, that margin is at a level lower than we [...] [...] going to a witch doctor is just as worthwhile as going to the family doctor. And if we take a Hansonian view of heathcare, that margin is at a level lower than we [...]

]]> By: The Perfect Healthcare Plan (And Why We’ll Never Get It) « Intellectual Detox http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-432569 The Perfect Healthcare Plan (And Why We’ll Never Get It) « Intellectual Detox Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:22:41 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-432569 [...] Yet numerous studies have shown that a large amount of healthcare simply has no value-add. A RAND study that compared people who had everything paid for versus people who had to pay for care out of [...] [...] Yet numerous studies have shown that a large amount of healthcare simply has no value-add. A RAND study that compared people who had everything paid for versus people who had to pay for care out of [...]

]]> By: jebs house http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html#comment-419566 jebs house Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:44:17 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/rand-health-insurance-experiment.html#comment-419566 I'm not sure what the hold-up is... maybe they have re-thought their stance on how this is going to actually make the company any money. Or perhaps their lawyers pointed out the liability of providing agents a platform to stick their feet in their mouth. Whatever it is, it's hardly something I'd claim as being "Well done". www.jebshouse.com I’m not sure what the hold-up is… maybe they have re-thought their stance on how this is going to actually make the company any money. Or perhaps their lawyers pointed out the liability of providing agents a platform to stick their feet in their mouth. Whatever it is, it’s hardly something I’d claim as being “Well done”.
http://www.jebshouse.com

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