Question

One major premise of the Rothschild-Stiglitz (RS) model is that there is a perfectly competitive market for health insurance. Suppose instead that the market is not perfectly competitive, and in fact competitor firms have a hard time entering the market. Could a pooling equilibrium occur in this case? What is it about competition that prevents pooling in the RS model? No formal proof is necessary, but do make your reasoning clear. Evaluate the following statement: competition in health insurance markets is harmful.

Answer 1