Private Insurance

More than half of the US population receives health insurance coverage from an employer-sponsored private insurer. Yet costs are prohibitively high, quality is low, and employees are faced with a dizzying array of options by which to select from. 

Complexities and changes in the private insurance market, including the significant consolidation among US healthcare providers, may result in higher prices, lower clinical quality, and limited patient choice. 

Creating and connecting some of the most comprehensive datasets, Tobin health experts are studying drivers of variation and growth in US health spending on the privately insured, analyzing the impact of horizontal and vertical mergers among US health care providers, investigating predatory billing practices by US providers, highlighting the consequences of rising health spending on overall labor market outcomes, and evaluating how to support employees with health plan selection.