Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program: Reply

We explore the in- and out-of-sample robustness of tests for choice inconsistencies based on parameter restrictions in parametric models, focusing on tests proposed by Ketcham, Kuminoff, and Powers (2016). We argue that their nonparametric alternatives are inherently conservative with respect to det...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Abaluck, Jason Todd, Gruber, Jonathan
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics
Format: Article
Published: American Economic Association 2018
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/114152
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9877-3065
Description
Summary:We explore the in- and out-of-sample robustness of tests for choice inconsistencies based on parameter restrictions in parametric models, focusing on tests proposed by Ketcham, Kuminoff, and Powers (2016). We argue that their nonparametric alternatives are inherently conservative with respect to detecting mistakes. We then show that our parametric model is robust to KKP's suggested specification checks, and that comprehensive goodness of fit measures perform better with our model than the expected utility model. Finally, we explore the robustness of our 2011 results to alternative normative assumptions highlighting the role of brand fixed effects and unobservable characteristics.