17.11 : Moral Hazard in the Market for Insurance

A moral hazard occurs when a party in a transaction neglects their responsibilities because they know that the other party will bear the financial consequences. This arises due to information asymmetry, as one party cannot observe the behavior of the other party after the transaction has taken place. 

Moral hazard is a typical problem in the insurance market. Its potential consequences can be detrimental to the market.

For instance, consider a buyer who purchases a comprehensive health insurance policy. Before acquiring this policy, the buyer may have been more proactive about their health, exercising regularly, maintaining a balanced diet, and avoiding risky behaviors to keep healthcare costs low.

However, after making the decision to purchase the health insurance policy, the buyer might become less cautious about their health habits. For example, they might start skipping regular medical check-ups or become less strict about their diet, knowing that any medical treatments needed as a result of their lax behavior will be covered by the insurance company. This decision, influenced by the insurance policy, is a clear example of moral hazard in action.

In this scenario, the insurance company cannot continuously monitor the buyer’s lifestyle choices and preventive health practices. This means that the change in the buyer's behavior could lead to more frequent and costly medical claims. As a result, these increased costs are passed on to all policyholders through higher premiums.

This dynamic illustrates how individual behavioral changes due to moral hazard can have broader consequences for the entire market, affecting affordability for all buyers.