Does It Make Any Difference Whether Health-Care Expenditures Are Paid

question 60

Multiple Choice

Does it make any difference whether health-care expenditures are paid for by the consumer or by a third party (the government or an insurance company, for example) ?

• A) No; the quantity of health-care service demanded is not influenced by either the price of health care or who is paying for it.
• B) Yes; consumers of health care will have a stronger incentive to economize when they are buying the service with their own money.
• C) Yes; consumers of health-care services will have a stronger incentive to economize when the services are paid for by a third party.
• D) No; health care is an essential service, and therefore, the incentive to economize on it is unaffected by who is paying for the service.