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Optimal tax policy and expected longevity: A mean and variance utility approach

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Marie-Louise Leroux
Grégory Ponthière

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Abstract

This paper studies the normative problem of redistribution between agents who can infuence their survival probability through private health spending, but who differ in their attitude towards the risks involved in the lotteries of life to be chosen. For that purpose, a two-period model is developed, where agents' preferences on lotteries of life can be represented by a mean and variance utility function allowing, unlike the expected utility form, some sensitivity to what Allais (1953) calls the dispersion of psychological values. It is shown that if agents ignore the impact of their health spending on the return of their savings, the decentralization of the first-best utilitarian optimum requires intergroup lump-sum transfers and group-specifc taxes on health spending. Under asymmetric information, we find that subsidizing health expenditures may be optimal as a way to solve the incentive problem.

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Paper provided by PSE (Ecole normale supérieure) in its series PSE Working Papers with number 2008-46.

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Date of creation: 2008
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Handle: RePEc:pse:psecon:2008-46

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  1. Gary S. Becker & Tomas J. Philipson & Rodrigo R. Soares, 2005. "The Quantity and Quality of Life and the Evolution of World Inequality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 277-291, March. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Tomas J. Philipson & Gary S. Becker, 1998. "Old-Age Longevity and Mortality-Contingent Claims," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(3), pages 551-573, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Antoine Bommier, 2006. "Uncertain Lifetime And Intertemporal Choice: Risk Aversion As A Rationale For Time Discounting," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1223-1246, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  4. LEROUX, Marie-Louise, 2008. "Endogenous differential mortality, non monitored effort and optimal non linear taxation," CORE Discussion Papers 2008029, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE). [Downloadable!]
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