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The Effect of Private Health Insurance on Self-assessed Health Status and Health Satisfaction in Germany

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  • René Petilliot

Abstract

In Germany, private health insurance covers more innovative and costly treatments than public insurance. Moreover, privately insured individuals are treated preferentially by doctors. In this article, I use subjective health data to examine whether these superior features of private insurance actually transfer into better health. I focus on German adolescents who are still in education to control for selection and account for differences in health-conscious behavior between publicly and privately insured individuals. I find that privately and publicly insured individuals do not differ in health, which contrasts with previous research. Hence, doctors appear to be the sole profiteers of the private insurance system and billions of euros could be saved by aligning private and public health insurance.

Suggested Citation

  • René Petilliot, 2017. "The Effect of Private Health Insurance on Self-assessed Health Status and Health Satisfaction in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 917, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp917
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Walendzik, Anke & Greß, Stefan & Manouguian, Maral & Wasem, Jürgen, 2008. "Vergütungsunterschiede im ärztlichen Bereich zwischen PKV und GKV auf Basis des standardisierten Leistungsniveaus der GKV und Modelle der Vergütungsangleichung," IBES Diskussionsbeiträge 165, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Business and Economic Studie (IBES).
    5. Geil, Peter, et al, 1997. "Economic Incentives and Hospitalization in Germany," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(3), pages 295-311, May-June.
    6. Gert G. Wagner & Joachim R. Frick & Jürgen Schupp, 2007. "The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) – Scope, Evolution and Enhancements," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 127(1), pages 139-169.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dauth, Christine, 2021. "The effects of private versus public health insurance on health and labor market outcomes," IAB-Discussion Paper 202103, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    2. Jinghua Sun & Peng Cheng & Zhaoxu Liu, 2023. "Social Security, Intergenerational Care, and Cultivated Land Renting Out Behavior of Elderly Farmers: Findings from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Daehwan Kim & Dong-hwa Lee, 2023. "Does private health insurance prevent the onset of critical illness and disability in a universal public insurance system?," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 48(1), pages 177-193, January.
    4. Susanti Susanti & Adi Cilik Pierewan & Kismiantini Kismiantini & Sofjan Aripin, 2022. "What Makes Indonesians Satisfied With Their Health? A Multilevel Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health satisfaction; Self-assessed health status; Private health insurance; Public health insurance; Selection;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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