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Racial Wealth Inequality and Access to Care with High-Deductible Health Insurance

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  • Naomi Zewde

Abstract

This paper evaluates racial inequalities in health-care affordability between high-deductible and conventional insurance. Using the 2011–2017 National Health Interview Survey, the study finds that Blacks in high-deductible plans are not disproportionately higher income, nor more engaged in other savings vehicles, unlike their White counterparts, indicating they may be income constrained rather than desiring to partially self-insure. Furthermore, conditional on income, wealth explained more of the racial disparity in health-care access among high-deductible enrollees than conventional enrollees, consistent with the hypothesis that benefit designs relying on households' cash reserves would yield greater disparities due to the magnitude of racial inequalities in assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi Zewde, 2024. "Racial Wealth Inequality and Access to Care with High-Deductible Health Insurance," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 114, pages 180-185, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:114:y:2024:p:180-85
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241104
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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