IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jageco/v75y2024i1p280-297.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Premium subsidies and selection in the federal crop insurance program

Author

Listed:
  • Jisang Yu
  • Edward D. Perry

Abstract

Understanding how subsidies affect the selection of farms with different risk exposure into insurance products is key to evaluating the efficiency of government‐supported insurance programs. We study the US crop insurance program, which is a major federally supported insurance program, to assess the impact of premium subsidies on the riskiness of the insured. By exploiting two waves of policy changes, we find that the average loss per insured liability falls as premium subsidies increase, which implies that crop producers with lower risk are more responsive to the price of insurance.

Suggested Citation

  • Jisang Yu & Edward D. Perry, 2024. "Premium subsidies and selection in the federal crop insurance program," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 280-297, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jageco:v:75:y:2024:i:1:p:280-297
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-9552.12555
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12555
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1477-9552.12555?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Strombom, Bruce A. & Buchmueller, Thomas C. & Feldstein, Paul J., 2002. "Switching costs, price sensitivity and health plan choice," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 89-116, January.
    2. Johannes Spinnewijn, 2017. "Heterogeneity, Demand for Insurance, and Adverse Selection," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 9(1), pages 308-343, February.
    3. Jason Abaluck & Jonathan Gruber, 2011. "Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(4), pages 1180-1210, June.
    4. Joseph W. Glauber, 2013. "The Growth Of The Federal Crop Insurance Program, 1990--2011," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(2), pages 482-488.
    5. Richard E. Just & Linda Calvin & John Quiggin, 1999. "Adverse Selection in Crop Insurance: Actuarial and Asymmetric Information Incentives," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 81(4), pages 834-849.
    6. A. Colin Cameron & Jonah B. Gelbach & Douglas L. Miller, 2011. "Robust Inference With Multiway Clustering," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 238-249, April.
    7. Liran Einav & Amy Finkelstein, 2011. "Selection in Insurance Markets: Theory and Empirics in Pictures," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(1), pages 115-138, Winter.
    8. Jisang Yu & Aaron Smith & Daniel A Sumner, 2018. "Effects of Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies on Crop Acreage," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(1), pages 91-114.
    9. Keith H. Coble & Barry J. Barnett, 2013. "Why Do We Subsidize Crop Insurance?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(2), pages 498-504.
    10. Xiaodong Du & Hongli Feng & David A. Hennessy, 2017. "Rationality of Choices in Subsidized Crop Insurance Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(3), pages 732-756.
    11. Juan He & Roderick Rejesus & Xiaoyong Zheng & Jose Yorobe, 2018. "Advantageous Selection in Crop Insurance: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 646-668, September.
    12. Bruce A. Babcock & Chad E. Hart & Dermot J. Hayes, 2004. "Actuarial Fairness of Crop Insurance Rates with Constant Rate Relativities," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(3), pages 563-575.
    13. Edward D. Perry & Jisang Yu & Jesse Tack, 2020. "Using insurance data to quantify the multidimensional impacts of warming temperatures on yield risk," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    14. Jason Abaluck & Jonathan Gruber, 2011. "Heterogeneity in Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Prescription Drug Plan Choice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(3), pages 377-381, May.
    15. Bruce A. Babcock & David A. Hennessy, 1996. "Input Demand under Yield and Revenue Insurance," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 78(2), pages 416-427.
    16. Hanming Fang & Michael P. Keane & Dan Silverman, 2008. "Sources of Advantageous Selection: Evidence from the Medigap Insurance Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(2), pages 303-350, April.
    17. Michael Geruso, 2017. "Demand heterogeneity in insurance markets: Implications for equity and efficiency," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 8(3), pages 929-975, November.
    18. Marshall Burke & Kyle Emerick, 2016. "Adaptation to Climate Change: Evidence from US Agriculture," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(3), pages 106-140, August.
    19. Barry K. Goodwin, 1993. "An Empirical Analysis of the Demand for Multiple Peril Crop Insurance," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 75(2), pages 425-434.
    20. Kai Ding & Filippo Rebessi, 2020. "Optimal Agricultural Policy: Small Gains?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(4), pages 1907-1928, October.
    21. Michael J. Price & Cindy L. Yu & David A. Hennessy & Xiaodong Du, 2019. "Are actuarial crop insurance rates fair?: an analysis using a penalized bivariate B‐spline method," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 68(5), pages 1207-1232, November.
    22. Francesco Decarolis & Maria Polyakova & Stephen P. Ryan, 2020. "Subsidy Design in Privately Provided Social Insurance: Lessons from Medicare Part D," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(5), pages 1712-1752.
    23. Goodwin, Barry K., 1994. "Premium Rate Determination In The Federal Crop Insurance Program: What Do Averages Have To Say About Risk?," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 19(2), pages 1-14, December.
    24. Tatyana Deryugina & Barrett Kirwan, 2018. "Does The Samaritan'S Dilemma Matter? Evidence From U.S. Agriculture," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(2), pages 983-1006, April.
    25. Keith H. Coble, 2004. "The joint effect of government crop insurance and loan programmes on the demand for futures hedging," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 31(3), pages 309-330, September.
    26. Barry K. Goodwin & Monte L. Vandeveer & John L. Deal, 2004. "An Empirical Analysis of Acreage Effects of Participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(4), pages 1058-1077.
    27. Benjamin R. Handel, 2013. "Adverse Selection and Inertia in Health Insurance Markets: When Nudging Hurts," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(7), pages 2643-2682, December.
    28. JunJie Wu, 1999. "Crop Insurance, Acreage Decisions, and Nonpoint-Source Pollution," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 81(2), pages 305-320.
    29. Feldstein, Martin & Friedman, Bernard, 1977. "Tax subsidies, the rational demand for insurance and the health care crisis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 155-178, April.
    30. Barry K. Goodwin & Vincent H. Smith, 2013. "What Harm Is Done By Subsidizing Crop Insurance?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(2), pages 489-497.
    31. Xiaodong Du & Hongli Feng & David A. Hennessy, 2017. "Rationality of Choices in Subsidized Crop Insurance Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(3), pages 732-756.
    32. Bruce J. Sherrick & Peter J. Barry & Paul N. Ellinger & Gary D. Schnitkey, 2004. "Factors Influencing Farmers' Crop Insurance Decisions," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(1), pages 103-114.
    33. Barry K. Goodwin & Nicholas E. Piggott, 2020. "Has Technology Increased Agricultural Yield Risk? Evidence from the Crop Insurance Biotech Endorsement," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(5), pages 1578-1597, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jisang Yu & Daniel A. Sumner, 2018. "Effects of subsidized crop insurance on crop choices," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(4), pages 533-545, July.
    2. Vigani, Mauro & Khafagy, Amr & Berry, Robert, 2024. "Public spending for agricultural risk management: Land use, regional welfare and intra-subsidy substitution," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    3. Woodard, Joshua, 2016. "Estimation of Insurance Deductible Demand under Endogenous Premium Rates," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236151, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Tsiboe, Francis & Turner, Dylan, 2023. "The crop insurance demand response to premium subsidies: Evidence from U.S. Agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    5. Yu, Jisang & Sumner, Daniel A. & Lee, Hyunok, 2021. "Premium rates and selection in specialty crop insurance markets: Evidence from the catastrophic coverage participation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    6. Yu, Jisang & Smith, Aaron & Sumner, Daniel A., 2016. "The Effects of the Premium Subsidies in the U.S. Federal Crop Insurance Program on Crop Acreage," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236022, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Martin Gaynor & Kate Ho & Robert J. Town, 2015. "The Industrial Organization of Health-Care Markets," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 235-284, June.
    8. Juan He & Xiaoyong Zheng & Roderick Rejesus & Jose Yorobe, 2020. "Input use under cost‐of‐production crop insurance: Theory and evidence," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(3), pages 343-357, May.
    9. Yuyuan Che & Hongli Feng & David A. Hennessy, 2020. "Recency effects and participation at the extensive and intensive margins in the U.S. Federal Crop Insurance Program," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(1), pages 52-85, January.
    10. Chemeris, Anna & Liu, Yong & Ker, Alan P., 2022. "Insurance subsidies, climate change, and innovation: Implications for crop yield resiliency," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    11. Chen, I-Chun & Du, Xiaodong & Mitchell, Paul D., 2018. "Policy Implications of Joint versus Separate Estimation of Crop Insurance Demand," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273878, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Coleman, Jane A. & Shaik, Saleem, 2009. "Time-Varying Estimation of Crop Insurance Program in Altering North Dakota Farm Economic Structure," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49516, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Nathaniel Hendren & Camille Landais & Johannes Spinnewijn, 2021. "Choice in Insurance Markets: A Pigouvian Approach to Social Insurance Design," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 457-486, August.
    14. Feng, Shuaizhang & Han, Yujie & Qiu, Huanguang, 2021. "Does crop insurance reduce pesticide usage? Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    15. Lubowski, Ruben N. & Bucholtz, Shawn & Claassen, Roger & Roberts, Michael J. & Cooper, Joseph C. & Gueorguieva, Anna & Johansson, Robert C., 2006. "Environmental Effects Of Agricultural Land-Use Change: The Role Of Economics And Policy," Economic Research Report 33591, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    16. Baoling Zou & Zanjie Ren & Ashok K. Mishra & Stefan Hirsch, 2022. "The role of agricultural insurance in boosting agricultural output: An aggregate analysis from Chinese provinces," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(4), pages 923-945, October.
    17. Fabio G Santeramo, 2019. "I Learn, You Learn, We Gain Experience in Crop Insurance Markets," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 284-304, June.
    18. Mauro Vigani & Jonas Kathage, 2019. "To Risk or Not to Risk? Risk Management and Farm Productivity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 101(5), pages 1432-1454, October.
    19. Hongli Feng & Xiaodong Du & David A. Hennessy, 2020. "Depressed demand for crop insurance contracts, and a rationale based on third generation Prospect Theory," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 59-73, January.
    20. Lu, Xun & Che, Yuyuan & Rejesus, Roderick M. & Goodwin, Barry K. & Ghosh, Sujit K. & Paudel, Jayash, 2023. "Unintended environmental benefits of crop insurance: Nitrogen and phosphorus in water bodies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jageco:v:75:y:2024:i:1:p:280-297. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-857X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.