Peter Zweifel - Böcker

This volume reflects both the main issues confronting health economics and the state of the art in health economics a decade before the end of the twentieth century. It contains a selection from almost 150 papers presented at the Second World Congress on Health Economics, held at the University of ZUrich, Switzerland, 10-14 September 1990. This is ten years after the last Congress (held in Leiden, The Netherlands) and more than 17 years after the Tokyo meeting organized by the International Economic Associ­ ation (which might be called the First World Congress were it not for its small size and symposium-like character). Out of the 16 papers appearing in this book, only four were invited, and they were refereed like all the others. The remaining contributions are survivors of stiff competition. However, in spite of the large sample of papers we were able to draw from, certain gaps of coverage persist. In particular, environmental impacts on health were designated as a field of priority interest in the call for papers to this Congress. Yet, not even half a dozen contribu­ tions were submitted, which is remarkable in view of the intense interest of the public in the health effects of environmental degradation, ranging from noise level to ozone concentration. Another specially designed field was the political economy of health, dealing with the behavior of policy makers when deciding about changes in the health care systems. It did not attract as many contributions as we had hoped for or expected.

Confronted with the continuing cost expansion in the health care sector, policy makers face a dilemma: limiting moral hazard in medical care requires that consumers participate in the cost, yet copayment is strongly resisted by today's socially insured. Thus, the experiences of three private German health insurers will be of interest to physicians, social scientists, and policy makers. Insurer A writes conventional plans with deductibles and coinsurance; B pays back three-monthly premiums as a fixed rebate for no claims; while C runs an experience-rated bonus system starting with a rebate of three-monthly premiums for the first year without a claim, reaching a maximum of five after three years. While both rebates and bonuses are quite popular among insureds, this study shows that bonus options are particularly effective in limiting the demand for ambulatory and even hospital care. But what about adverse effects on health caused by the desire to save one's bonus? On this issue, there is some surprising empirical evidence.

This study presents recent evidence concerning health and the environment, inequality of health in many countries, and the compatibility of different quality of life measurements, along with new solutions to problems of health policy. The book is grouped into three sections. Section One, comprising six papers, looks into the determinants of people's health. Section Two consists of three papers and deals with the supply side of the market for health care services. Finally, Section Three contains three contributions devoted to health regulation. The intended market for this volume includes, but is not limited to, health economists, policy makers, insurers, and governmental advisors who need to stay abreast of the latest developments in health services research worldwide.

Health care arguably is the single most regulated industry in industrial countries, and possibly in newly industrialized and developing countries as well. But what exactly is being regulated, what are the instruments used, and what are the effects and side-effects of such regulation? This text seeks to resolve problems in answering key questions regarding the health care sector in two countries - Sweden and Switzerland. The volume contains a series of studies that compare the regulation of health and health care in these two apparently very similar countries, in considerable detail. The contributing teams acquired a great deal of knowledge about health regulation in both countries; they also derived comparative predictions when regulation differs, using actual observations to check whether these predictions are borne out. These comparisons are based on the conditions prevailing in the mid-1990s.

Rich or poor, countries around the globe are struggling to find a way to pay for health care. This book presents a compelling analysis that shows private health insurance can play a role in providing more affordable access to health care to more people, no matter what their economic status.

Health care arguably is the single most regulated industry in industrial countries, and possibly in newly industrialized and developing countries as well. But what exactly is being regulated, what are the instruments used, and what are the effects and side-effects of such regulation? Regulation of Health: Case Studies of Sweden and Switzerland seeks to resolve problems in answering these key questions regarding the health care sector in two countries - Sweden and Switzerland. The volume contains a series of studies that compare the regulation of health and health care in these two apparently very similar countries, in considerable detail. The contributing teams acquired a great deal of knowledge about health regulation in both countries; they also derived comparative predictions when regulation differs, using actual observations to check whether these predictions are borne out. These comparisons are based on the conditions prevailing in the mid-nineties.

Health, The Medical Profession, and Regulation presents new evidence concerning health and the environment, inequality of health in many countries, and the compatibility of different quality of life measurements, along with new solutions to problems of health policy. The book is grouped into three sections. Section I, comprising six papers, looks into the determinants of people's health. Section II consists of three papers and deals with the supply side of the market for health care services. Finally, Section III contains three contributions devoted to health regulation. The intended market for this volume includes, but is not limited to, health economists, policy makers, insurers, and governmental advisors who need to stay abreast of the latest developments in health services research worldwide.

Insurance Economics brings together the economic analysis of decision making under risk, risk management and demand for insurance among individuals and corporations, objectives pursued and management tools used by insurance companies, the regulation of insurance, and the division of labor between private and social insurance.Appropriate both for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics, management, and finance, this text provides the background required to understand current research. Predictions derived from theoretical arguments are not merely stated, but also related to empirical evidence. Throughout the book, conclusions summarize key results, helping readers to check their knowledge and comprehension. Issues discussed include paradoxes in decision making under risk and attempts at their resolution, moral hazard and adverse selection including the possibility of a “death spiral”, and future challenges to both private and social insurance such as globalization and the availability of genetic information.This second edition has been extensively revised. Most importantly, substantial content has been added to represent the evolution of risk-related research. A new chapter, Insurance Demand II: Nontraditional Approaches, provides a timely addition in view of recent developments in risk theory and insurance. Previous discussions of Enterprise Risk Management, long-term care insurance, adverse selection, and moral hazard have all been updated. In an effort to expand the global reach of the text, evidence and research from the U.S. and China have also been added.

Insurance Economics brings together the economic analysis of decision making under risk, risk management and demand for insurance among individuals and corporations, objectives pursued and management tools used by insurance companies, the regulation of insurance, and the division of labor between private and social insurance.Appropriate both for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics, management, and finance, this text provides the background required to understand current research. Predictions derived from theoretical arguments are not merely stated, but also related to empirical evidence. Throughout the book, conclusions summarize key results, helping readers to check their knowledge and comprehension. Issues discussed include paradoxes in decision making under risk and attempts at their resolution, moral hazard and adverse selection including the possibility of a “death spiral”, and future challenges to both private and social insurance such as globalization and the availability of genetic information.This second edition has been extensively revised. Most importantly, substantial content has been added to represent the evolution of risk-related research. A new chapter, Insurance Demand II: Nontraditional Approaches, provides a timely addition in view of recent developments in risk theory and insurance. Previous discussions of Enterprise Risk Management, long-term care insurance, adverse selection, and moral hazard have all been updated. In an effort to expand the global reach of the text, evidence and research from the U.S. and China have also been added.

Health Economics presents a systematic treatment of the economics of health behavior and health care delivery. Appropriate both for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics, this text provides the background required to understand current research, presenting theoretical models as well as empirical evidence and summarizing key results. Without neglecting ethical concerns, modern microeconomic theory is applied to formulate theoretical implications and predictions. Issues discussed include the economic valuation of life and health, moral hazard in health care utilization, supplier-induced demand, the search for remuneration systems with favorable incentives, risk selection in health insurance markets, and technological change in medicine.

Das Buch macht den Leser mit den zentralen Fragestellungen und dem analytischen Werkzeug der Versicherungsökonomie vertraut. Es führt Beiträge zur Nachfrage nach Versicherung, zum Angebot an Versicherung und der Versicherungsregulierung sowie zur Sozialversicherung in einer vereinheitlichten Darstellung zusammen, die bisher nur verstreut in Zeitschriften und Sammelbänden verfügbar waren. Es werden empirisch überprüfbare Voraussagen der Theorie abgleitet und den Ergebnissen internationaler empirischer Forschung gegenübergestellt. Ausformulierte Folgerungen fassen den Stoff zusammen und erleichtern die Kontrolle des Wissensstands.

This study derives from a concerted effort, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs, to gather comparable information on eight service industries of a country where statistical information about the services sector is particularly scarce. The book is also unique in that it provides the international reader with detailed descriptions of the regulatory framework governing these service industries and relating them to their current and future expected performance. Special attention is paid to the issue of returns to scale, which are considered crucial in the enlarged market created by the 'EC 92' initiative. Applying the tool of Data Envelopment Analysis, it was found however that large service firms seem to have already exploited existing returns to scale. In all, this book constitutes a reference to anyone attempting to assess the future outlook of services in a small open economy that for sometime in the future is likely to remain outside the European Community.

Die nachhaltige Lösung von Problemen der Energieversorgung gehört zu den zentralen Herausforderungen moderner Zivilisationen. Aus ökonomischer Sicht greifen alle Antworten zu kurz, die nicht explizit das interessengeleitete Handeln der wesentlichen Akteure berücksichtigen. Deshalb behandelt dieses Buch die nachfrage- und angebotsseitigen Gesetzmäßigkeiten der verschiedenen Energiemärkte, und zwar unter Rückgriff auf industrie- und institutionenökonomische Theoriebausteine. Die technisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Bedingungen von Gewinnung, Wandlung, Transport, Verteilung und Nutzung von Energieträgern werden dabei stets berücksichtigt. Ein wichtiges Thema für die Praktiker sind die von der Liberalisierung der leitungsgebundenen Energiemärkte ausgehenden Impulse. Wo immer möglich werden die theoretisch hergeleiteten Voraussagen durch die Konfrontation mit statistischer Evidenz auf ihre Praxisrelevanz geprüft.

Die nachhaltige Lösung von Problemen der Energieversorgung gehört zu den zentralen Herausforderungen moderner Zivilisationen. Ein wichtiges Thema für die Praktiker sind die von der Liberalisierung der leitungsgebundenen Energiemärkte ausgehenden Impulse.

Presenting theoretical foundations and empirical research, this text introduces the reader to the core issues and analytical tools of insurance economics, examining in detail a host of key factors including supply and demand, regulation and social insurance.

die Ausgabendynamik im Gesundheitswesen, der Umgang mit der Gesundheit, die Rolle des Arztes und sein Verhalten, Ineffizienzen in Krankenhäusern und die Anreize zur Risikoselektion im Krankenkassenwettbewerb.

Health Economics presents a systematic treatment of the economics of health behavior and health care delivery.

This book provides an introduction to energy economics. It shows how to apply general economic theory as well as empirical and advanced econometric methods to explain the drivers of energy markets and their development. Readers learn about the specific properties of energy markets as well as the physical, technological, environmental, and geopolitical particularities of energy sources and products. The book covers all types of energy markets, ranging from liquid fuels, gaseous fuels, and solid fuels to electricity. It also addresses emission allowances, energy efficiency, and nuclear risks. The authors discuss the engineering properties of energy technologies  including renewables, the economics of natural resources and environmental protection, market liberalization, and energy trade as well as the experience of the German energy transformation. This book will serve students as a textbook and practitioners as a reference for their understanding of energy markets and their development.

The authors discuss the engineering properties of energy technologies including renewables, the economics of natural resources and environmental protection, market liberalization, and energy trade as well as the experience of the German energy transformation.

Dieses Lehrbuch vermittelt in kompakter Form einen Überblick über die Theorie des Internationalen Handels. Die mikroökonomische Analyse der internationalen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen wird oft als eine Anwendung der Allgemeinen Gleichgewichtstheorie dargestellt und wirkt entsprechend trocken und abstrakt. Demgegenüber wird hier die Theorie als Werkzeug zur Erklärung und Voraussage von beobachtbaren Phänomenen verstanden. Deshalb schließt jedes Kapital mit einer Diskussion von empirischen Überprüfungen und ihren Ergebnissen ab. Das Buch enthält zu jedem Kapital Übungsaufgaben und geht insbesondere auf die Außenwirtschaftdaten Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz ein.

This volume reflects both the main issues confronting health economics and the state of the art in health economics a decade before the end of the twentieth century. It contains a selection from almost 150 papers presented at the Second World Congress on Health Economics, held at the University of ZUrich, Switzerland, 10-14 September 1990. This is ten years after the last Congress (held in Leiden, The Netherlands) and more than 17 years after the Tokyo meeting organized by the International Economic Associ­ ation (which might be called the First World Congress were it not for its small size and symposium-like character). Out of the 16 papers appearing in this book, only four were invited, and they were refereed like all the others. The remaining contributions are survivors of stiff competition. However, in spite of the large sample of papers we were able to draw from, certain gaps of coverage persist. In particular, environmental impacts on health were designated as a field of priority interest in the call for papers to this Congress. Yet, not even half a dozen contribu­ tions were submitted, which is remarkable in view of the intense interest of the public in the health effects of environmental degradation, ranging from noise level to ozone concentration. Another specially designed field was the political economy of health, dealing with the behavior of policy makers when deciding about changes in the health care systems. It did not attract as many contributions as we had hoped for or expected.