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Health insurance costs and early retirement decisions

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Author Info
Richard W. Johnson
Amy J. Davidoff
Kevin Perese
Abstract

The loss of health insurance may be an important component of the cost of retirement, especially for workers without retiree health insurance coverage. The authors find that insurance costs significantly reduce retirement rates for full-time wage and salary workers ages 51 to 61. Simulations suggest that a $1,000 increase in the net present value of health insurance premium costs reduces the probability of early retirement by 0.17 percentage points for men and by 0.24 percentage points for women, corresponding to elasticities of -0.22 and -0.24, respectively. The authors' models predict that expanding the Medicare program to cover those aged 62-64 would increase retirement rates for workers with employer-sponsored coverage who lack retiree benefits, if the government subsidizes their coverage. However, the impact would be small, increasing overall retirement rates by only 7%. (Author's abstract.) (Free full-text download available at http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ilrreview/.)

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Publisher Info
Article provided by ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University in its journal ILR Review.

Volume (Year): 56 (2003)
Issue (Month): 4 (July)
Pages: 716-729
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:ilr:articl:v:56:y:2003:i:4:p:716-729

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  1. Gordon B.T. Mermin & Richard W. Johnson & Dan Murphy, 2006. "Why Do Boomers Plan to Work So Long?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2006-19, Center for Retirement Research, revised Nov 2006. [Downloadable!]
  2. Barbara A. Butrica & Karen E. Smith & C. Eugene Steuerle, 2006. "Working for a Good Retirement," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_463, Levy Economics Institute, The. [Downloadable!]
  3. Richard W. Johnson, 2004. "How Closely Do Spouses Coordinate Thier Retirement Decisions?," Others 0408006, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  4. Jody Schimmel, 2006. "Men With Health Insurance and the Women Who Love Them: the Effect of a Husband's Retirement on His Wife's Health Insurance Coverage," Working Papers wp131, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center. [Downloadable!]
  5. Richard W. Johnson, 2004. "Do Spouses Coordinate Their Retirement Decisions?," Issues in Brief ib2004-19, Center for Retirement Research, revised Jul 2004. [Downloadable!]
  6. Joshua Congdon-Hohman, 2006. "The Impact of Health Insurance Availability on Retirement Decision Reversals," Working Papers wp137, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center. [Downloadable!]
  7. Justina A.V. Fischer & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2006. "The Institutional Determinants of Early Retirement in Europe," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2006 2006-08, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen. [Downloadable!]
  8. James Marton & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2006. "Retiree Health Benefits and Retirement," Staff Working Papers 06-128, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Stephen A. Woodbury & James Marton, 2006. "Retiree Health Benefit Coverage and Retirement," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_470, Levy Economics Institute, The. [Downloadable!]
  10. Richard W. Johnson, 2007. "What Happens to Health Benefits after Retirement," Work Opportunity Briefs wob_7, Center for Retirement Research, revised Feb 2007. [Downloadable!]
  11. Barbara A. Butrica & Richard W. Johnson & Karen E. Smith & Eugene Steuerle, 2004. "Does Work Pay at Older Ages?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College 2004-30, Center for Retirement Research. [Downloadable!]
  12. Brigitte Madrian, 2006. "The U.S. Health Care System and Labor Markets," NBER Working Papers 11980, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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