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Risk and Uncertainty in Health Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Takao Asano

    (Faculty of Economics, Okayama University)

  • Akihisa Shibata

    (Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University)

Abstract

Extending the Grossman [12] model of health capital into a stochastic one, we analyze how the presence of Knightian uncertainty about the efficacy of health care affects the optimal health investment behavior of individuals. Using Gilboa and Schmeidler's [11] model of maxmin expected utility (MMEU) with multiple priors, we show that an agent retains the initial level of health capital if the price of health care lies within a certain range. We also show that the no-investment range expands as the degree of Knightian uncertainty rises.

Suggested Citation

  • Takao Asano & Akihisa Shibata, 2010. "Risk and Uncertainty in Health Investment," KIER Working Papers 696, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:kyo:wpaper:696
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    10. Dardanoni, Valentino & Wagstaff, Adam, 1987. "Uncertainty, inequalities in health and the demand for health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 283-290, December.
    11. Daniel Ellsberg, 1961. "Risk, Ambiguity, and the Savage Axioms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 75(4), pages 643-669.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vladimir A. Kozlov & Dina Y. Balalaeva, 2015. "Institutional Deficit and Health Outcomes in Post-Communist States," HSE Working papers WP BRP 25/PS/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Kozlov, Vladimir A. & Rosenberg, Dina Y., 2018. "Institutional deficit and health outcomes in post-communist states," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 119-131.
    3. Stephen Dimmock & Roy Kouwenberg & Olivia Mitchell & Kim Peijnenburg, 2015. "Estimating ambiguity preferences and perceptions in multiple prior models: Evidence from the field," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 219-244, December.
    4. Bolin, Kristian & Lindgren, Björn, 2016. "Non-monotonic health behaviours – implications for individual health-related behaviour in a demand-for-health framework," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 9-26.
    5. Bogdan STOICA & Carmen Nadia CIOCOIU, 2018. "The Risk Concept In The Healthcare Sector And Its Implications For The Contracting Of Medical Services," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 12(1), pages 906-917, November.
    6. Bolin, Kristian & Lindgren, Björn, 2014. "Non-monotonic health behaviours - implications for individual health-related behaviour in a demand-for-health framework," Working Papers in Economics 588, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    7. Arthur E. Attema & Han Bleichrodt & Olivier L'Haridon, 2018. "Ambiguity preferences for health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(11), pages 1699-1716, November.
    8. Donata Bessey, 2018. "Preferences, personality and health behaviors: results from an explorative economic experiment," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 437-456, December.
    9. Lo, Te-Fen & Hsieh, Chee-Ruey, 2013. "Dynamic profile of health investment and the evolution of elderly health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 134-142.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health Investment; Risk; Uncertainty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets

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