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Prudence and optimal prevention for health risks

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Author Info
Christophe Courbage (The Geneva Association, 53, route de malagnou, CH-1208 Geneva, Switzerland)
Béatrice Rey (Actuarial Institute of Lyon, University Claude Bernard, 50 avenue Tony Garnier, FR-69007 Lyon, France)
Abstract

Empirical evidence suggests the existence of a positive relationship between fear of sickness (FS) - as measured by the level of future utility lost when sickness occurs - and the level of effort to prevent the occurrence of sickness. By looking theoretically at this issue, we develop new results on the determinants of optimal prevention for health risks. In particular, we show that a sufficient condition to pursue more prevention for an individual with a higher FS than another is to have lower prudence in Kimball's (1990) sense, whatever the distribution of risk. These findings reinforce the role of prudence as a main determinant of the optimal level of prevention. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/hec.1138
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Publisher Info
Article provided by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in its journal Health Economics.

Volume (Year): 15 (2006)
Issue (Month): 12 ()
Pages: 1323-1327
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:15:y:2006:i:12:p:1323-1327

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Dionne, G. & Eeckhoudt, L., 1984. "Self-Insurance, Self-Protection and Increased Risk Aversion," Cahiers de recherche 8424, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques.
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  2. Cook, Philip J & Graham, Daniel A, 1977. "The Demand for Insurance and Protection: The Case of Irreplaceable Commodities," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 91(1), pages 143-56, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Milton Friedman & L. J. Savage, 1948. "The Utility Analysis of Choices Involving Risk," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56, pages 279. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Boyer, M. & Dionne, G., 1988. "More On Insurance, Protection And Risk," Cahiers de recherche 8806, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
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  5. Bleichrodt, Han & Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis, 2003. "The effect of comorbidities on treatment decisions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 805-820, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Eeckhoudt, L. & Godfroid, Ph. & Gollier, C., 1997. "Willingness to pay, the risk premium and risk aversion," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 355-360, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Ehrlich, Isaac & Becker, Gary S, 1972. "Market Insurance, Self-Insurance, and Self-Protection," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 80(4), pages 623-48, July-Aug.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Kimball, Miles S, 1990. "Precautionary Saving in the Small and in the Large," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 53-73, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2009. "On the utility premium of Friedman and Savage," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 46-48, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Louis Eeckhoudt & Christian Gollier, 2005. "The impact of prudence on optimal prevention," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 989-994, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Sebastian Ebert & Daniel Wiesen, 2009. "An experimental methodology testing for prudence and third-order preferences," Bonn Econ Discussion Papers bgse21_2009, University of Bonn, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  2. Stanciole, Anderson, 2007. "Health Insurance and Life Style Choices: Identifying the Ex Ante Moral Hazard," IRISS Working Paper Series 2007-10, IRISS at CEPS/INSTEAD. [Downloadable!]
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