Interactions between demand for self-insurance and for market insurance

This paper considers interactions between demand for market insurance and the level of self-insurance. The concept of self-insurance as an alternative for market insurance was presented by Ehrlich and Becker. Their original model accounts for only two states of the world and suggests that self-insurance and market insurance are substitute goods. This classical view does not extend to the case of many states of the world. In this paper a more general model is described, as under information asymmetry market insurance may be complementary to self-insurance or a substitute for it. Conditions under which market insurance and self-insurance are complements or substitutes were stated and discussed. The paper also provides economic interpretation of these conditions.