What is the influence of a deductible on healthcare use? An analysis of the behaviour of individuals concerning health insurance deductibles in The Netherlands

This thesis analysed the behaviour of individuals concerning health insurance deductibles in The Netherlands. Three separate analyses have been performed. Firstly, a cross-section analysis researched the effect of having an increased voluntary deductible on care avoidance. Secondly, the effect of a health shock on the change in an individual’s voluntary deductible over time has been researched. Thirdly, the effect of the increments in the mandatory deductible over several years on medical specialist visits has been studied. The used data is derived from the “Gezondheidsenquête” (Health Survey) 2010-2013 collected by the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) and the LISS (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social sciences) panel administered by CentERdata (Tilburg University, The Netherlands). The conclusion is that having a voluntary deductible does affect a person’s healthcare behaviour. The three effects found are: 1. Having a voluntary deductible is associated with an increase in the probability of care avoidance, however due to limitations of the data causality cannot be proven. 2. A health shock decreases the amount of the voluntary deductible. 3. The increments of the mandatory deductible by the Dutch government is not significantly associated with a change in the probability of care avoidance in 2013 compared to 2010.