The Human Cost of Collusion: Health Effects of a Mexican Insulin Cartel
研究了墨西哥胰岛素卡特尔瓦解后价格下降对胰岛素使用、糖尿病并发症和死亡率的影响，发现合谋造成的健康损害远超传统评估，对中低收入国家医疗市场设计有启示。
Abstract Despite recent attention to the role of competition in determining health outcomes in developed nations, little is known about how market power impedes access to quality care in lower-income countries. This paper studies the effects of policy changes that stopped collusion among firms supplying insulin to one of Mexico’s largest health care providers. I document increased insulin utilization and decreased diabetes complications and mortality following the sudden drop in insulin prices caused by the cartel’s collapse. These adverse health outcomes expand the assessment of damages caused by the cartel. The findings highlight the importance of market design policies in health markets, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.