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Abstract

The first chapter of this dissertation considers the welfare effects of increasing access to secondary markets in life insurance. In this chapter, I propose and estimate a life-cycle savings model for the life insurance lapse decision with dynamic, heterogeneous bequest motives. I then perform a counterfactual analysis with competitive secondary markets and find them to be Pareto improving for my sample with an average value increase to consumer's welfare by $1,346 per policy-holder. The second chapter of this dissertation considers how optional two-part tariffs can serve as a signaling device for life insurance contracts. I test for consumer self-selection using detailed, policy-level data within the context of life insurance backdating I am able to identify, through a control function approach, the information about lapse risk a consumer reveals when they choose to backdate. I find consumers a) who are less likely to lapse self-select into the two-part tariff pricing structure and b) exhibit behavior consistent with sunk cost bias. The final chapter of this dissertation considers how Medicaid expansion can affect private insurance markets. I use policy-level data from the Health Insurance Exchanges to identify and estimate the effects of Medicaid expansion on the private health insurance market premiums. I find that expanding Medicaid reduces average monthly premiums by $32.4, a decrease of 11.86%.

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