Amy Finkelstein

Portfolio · 2023

Few of us need convincing that the American health insurance system needs reform. But many existing proposals miss the point, focusing on expanding one relatively successful piece of the system or building in piecemeal additions. As Finkelstein and Einav point out, our health care system was never deliberately designed, but rather pieced together to deal with issues as they became politically relevant. The result is a sprawling, arbitrary, and inadequate mess that has left 30 million Americans without formal insurance. It's time, the authors argue, to tear it all down and rebuild, sensibly and deliberately.

Yale University Press · 2022

Why is dental insurance so crummy? Why is pet insurance so expensive? Why does your auto insurer ask for your credit score? The answer to these questions lies in understanding how insurance works. Unraveling the mysteries of insurance markets, the authors explore such issues as why insurers want to know so much about us and whether we should let them obtain this information; why insurance entrepreneurs often fail (and some tricks that may help them succeed); and whether we'd be better off with government-mandated health insurance instead of letting businesses, customers, and markets decide who gets coverage and at what price.