Deductibles-a portion of healthcare costs paid by patients before their insurance coverage kicks in-are part of most insurance plans. The rationale behind patient cost-sharing is simple: by shifting some of the burden of medical expenses to patients, they will have an incentive to avoid unnecessary care.
But research on cost-sharing shows that the reality is more complex. Economist Martin Salm of the Tilburg School of Economics and Management focuses on obtaining a more precise understanding of how patients respond to cost-sharing incentives.
Controversial topic
"Patient cost-sharing is a controversial topic in the political debate, both in the Netherlands and in other countries," professor Martin Salm says. "Different political parties have different ideas about patient cost-sharing.""A good understanding of the consequences of alternative patient cost-sharing schemes is important for good decision making. This includes questions such as: Who benefits and who loses from a higher deductible, or how do patients’ responses to a deductible differ from responses to a no-claim refund?"
Economic health inequality
In addition to his work on patient cost-sharing schemes and their consequences, professor Martin Salm’s research will continue to focus on several other important questions in the field of healthcare economics. In particular, he will research the large regional disparities in healthcare costs and the complex relationship between socio-economic status and health.Professor Martin Salm
Tilburg School of Economics and ManagementMartin Salm was born in Freiburg i.Br. in Germany. He obtained a degree in Economics from the University of Mannheim in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Economics from Duke University in the Unites States in 2006. He joined Tilburg University as assistant professor in the department of Econometrics and Operations Research in 2008, and became associate professor in 2011 and serves as full professor as of 1 November 2023. His research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of the European Economics Association, the Economic Journal, Journal of Public Economics, and Journal of Health Economics. He lives in Tilburg.