Investigators from Umea University Target Economic History

2021 AUG 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Data detailed on Economics - Economic History have been presented. According to news reporting originating in Umea, Sweden, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “During the industrialization period, the rate of workplace-related accidents increased. Because of the lack of public insurance, mutual health insurance societies became the main providers of workplace accident insurance among workers.”

Funders for this research include European Commission, Marianne ochMarcusWallenbergs Stiftelse, Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life & Welfare (Forte), Jan Wallanders and Tom Hedelius Foundation.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Umea University, “Due to large differences in accident risk, health insurance societies were potentially exposed to the risk of adverse selection, since they employed equal pricing for all members regardless of risk profile. This article investigates the impact of workplace accident risk on health insurance selection and outcomes. We employ household budget surveys encompassing urban workers in Sweden during the early twentieth century. We find evidence for a redistribution from low- to high-risk-exposed workers, as workplace accident risk had a significant and positive impact on receiving health insurance benefits, also when controlling for a variety of factors. Workers exposed to greater risks in the workplace were more likely to have health insurance but did not pay higher premiums. The redistribution from low- to high-risk-exposed workers was largely accepted and viewed as an act of solidarity between workers.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Given that health insurance societies were aware of this redistribution, we argue for the presence of informed, rather than adverse, selection.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Workplace Accidents and Workers’ Solidarity: Mutual Health Insurance In Early Twentieth-century Sweden(Dagger). The Economic History Review, 2021. The Economic History Review can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Liselotte Eriksson, Umea University, Ctr Demog & Ageing Res, Umea, Sweden. Additional authors for this research include Lars Fredrik Andersson and Paul Nystedt.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/ehr.13088. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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