These kinds of adverse-selection effects crop up at the company level in health insurance, too.

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Some experts reject the adverse-selection argument, even as they affirm their concern about the future of the insurance market.

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Dr Cook-Deegan was one of the authors of a study that showed a significant risk of adverse selection in the market for long-term-care insurance (the sort bought by the young in order to ensure they have nursing care when they become old and infirm).

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Like most financing experts, David believes a universal program is probably the only way to solve the participation and adverse selection problems that plague voluntary long-term care insurance.

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But both the selection bias and regular-phone-use definition might be expected to mask any adverse effect of phones.

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