Question

Suppose that the market equilibrium price for a basic medical check-up is $50, in a market in which there is no health insurance. To encourage more people to get a check-up, the local government mandates that the price of a check-up cannot be more than $40. Would the number of check-ups in this market, increase, decrease, or remain unchanged, relative to the market equilibrium

Answer 1

The number of check-ups in this market would decrease.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is an example of price ceiling.

Price ceiling refers to a legal maximum price that is set by the government for a commodity to be sold.

Price ceiling set below the equilibrium price will result in a supply shortage as it will be effective and binding, while price ceiling set above the equilibrium price will not affect quantity supplied in the market as it will not be effective and binding.

Since the $40 price of heck-up is below $50 equilibrium price, it will result in shortage supply and the number of check-ups in this market would decrease.