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Asymmetric Demand Response When Prices Increase and Decrease: The Case of Child Health Care

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  • Toshiaki Iizuka

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Hitoshi Shigeoka

    (Simon Fraser University, The University of Tokyo, IZA, and NBER)

Abstract

This study tests whether demand responds symmetrically to price increases and decreases—a seemingly obvious proposition under conventional demand theory that has not been rigorously tested. Exploiting the rapid expansion in Japanese municipal subsidies for child health care in a difference-in-differences framework, we find evidence against conventional demand theory: when coinsurance, our price measure, increases from 0% to 30%, the demand response is more than twice that to a price decrease from 30% to 0%. This result indicates that while economists and policymakers pay little attention, price change direction matters and should be incorporated into welfare analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Toshiaki Iizuka & Hitoshi Shigeoka, 2023. "Asymmetric Demand Response When Prices Increase and Decrease: The Case of Child Health Care," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(5), pages 1325-1333, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:105:y:2023:i:5:p:1325-1333
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01110
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    Cited by:

    1. Seonghoon Kim & Kanghyock Koh & Wonjun Lyou, 2024. "The effects of patient cost‐sharing on adolescents' healthcare utilization and financial risk protection: Evidence from South Korea," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(3), pages 1009-1023, July.
    2. Kim, Seonghoon & Koh, Kanghyock & Lyou, Wonjun, 2024. "The Effects of Patient Cost-Sharing on Adolescents' Healthcare Utilization and Financial Risk Protection: Evidence from South Korea," IZA Discussion Papers 16897, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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