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Competitive insurance market in the presence of ambiguity

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  • Anwar, Sajid
  • Zheng, Mingli

Abstract

Within the context of a competitive insurance market, this paper examines the impact of ambiguity on the behavior of buyers and sellers. Ambiguity is described through a probability measure on an extended state space that includes extra ambiguous states. It is shown that if insurers face the same or less ambiguity than their customers, a unique equilibrium exists where customers are fully insured. On the other hand, if insurers face more ambiguity than their customers, customers will be under insured and it is even possible that customers may not purchase any insurance.

Suggested Citation

  • Anwar, Sajid & Zheng, Mingli, 2012. "Competitive insurance market in the presence of ambiguity," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 79-84.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:insuma:v:50:y:2012:i:1:p:79-84
    DOI: 10.1016/j.insmatheco.2011.09.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ghossoub, Mario, 2019. "Optimal insurance under rank-dependent expected utility," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 51-66.
    2. Belles-Sampera, Jaume & Merigó, José M. & Guillén, Montserrat & Santolino, Miguel, 2013. "The connection between distortion risk measures and ordered weighted averaging operators," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 411-420.
    3. Arthur E. Attema & Han Bleichrodt & Olivier L'Haridon, 2018. "Ambiguity preferences for health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(11), pages 1699-1716, November.
    4. Massimiliano Amarante & Mario Ghossoub, 2016. "Optimal Insurance for a Minimal Expected Retention: The Case of an Ambiguity-Seeking Insurer," Risks, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, March.
    5. Amarante, Massimiliano & Ghossoub, Mario & Phelps, Edmund, 2015. "Ambiguity on the insurer’s side: The demand for insurance," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 61-78.
    6. Mingli Zheng & Chong Wang & Chaozheng Li, 2016. "Insurance Contracts with Adverse Selection When the Insurer Has Ambiguity about the Composition of the Consumers," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 17(1), pages 179-206, May.
    7. Zheng, Mingli & Wang, Chong & Li, Chaozheng, 2015. "Optimal nonlinear pricing by a monopolist with information ambiguity," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 60-66.
    8. Marek Kałuszka & Michał Krzeszowiec, 2013. "Iteracyjność składek ubezpieczeniowych w ujęciu teorii skumulowanej perspektywy i teorii nieokreśloności," Collegium of Economic Analysis Annals, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, issue 31, pages 45-56.
    9. Mario Ghossoub, 2016. "Optimal Insurance with Heterogeneous Beliefs and Disagreement about Zero-Probability Events," Risks, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-28, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ambiguity; Competitive equilibrium; Insurance market; Risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies

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