Competition in the health care market: a two-sided approach

Mario Pezzino, Giacomo Pignataro

Research output: Preprint/Working paperWorking paper

Abstract

Two identical hospitals compete for patients and doctors choosing locations (e.g.specializations) on a Hotelling line, and selecting the quality of the treatment and the salaryfor the doctors. Patients pay the price chosen by a benevolent central planner. Introducingthe presence of cross-group externalities for the patients (i.e. ceteris paribus patients preferthe hospital with the highest number of doctors), we show that in equilibrium hospitalsalways maximally differentiate their services. The regulator, choosing the price, can affectonly the provision of quality that, in equilibrium, may be provided at the socially optimallevel.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Publication series

NameUniversity of Catania, Economics

Keywords

  • price regulation, quality competition, spatial competition, gatekeeping

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