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Should we subsidize longevity?

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Author Info
Marie-Louise Leroux
Pierre Pestieau
Grégory Ponthière

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Abstract

This paper studies the design of the optimal non linear taxation in an economy where longevity varies across agents, and depends on three factors: longevity genes, health investment and farsightedness. Provided earnings, farsightedness and genes are correlated, governmental intervention can be justified on two grounds: correction for a lack of farsightedness and redistribution across both earnings and genetic dimensions. Whether longevity-enhancing spending should be subsidized or taxed is shown to depend on the combined effects of myopia, self-selection and free-riding on the annuity returns. Our policy conclusions depend also on how productivity and genes are correlated, on the complementarity of genes and efforts in the survival function, and on how the government weights the welfare of heterogeneous agents. All in all, it might be desirable to tax longevity-enhancing spending.

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Paper provided by PSE (Ecole normale supérieure) in its series PSE Working Papers with number 2008-50.

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Date of creation: 2008
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Handle: RePEc:pse:psecon:2008-50

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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. EECKHOUDT, Louis & PESTIEAU, Pierre, 2007. "Fear of ruin and longevity enhancing investment," CORE Discussion Papers 2007032, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE). [Downloadable!]
  3. Pierre-André Jouvet & Pierre Pestieau & Grégory Ponthière, 2007. "Longevity and environmental quality in an OLG model," EconomiX Working Papers 2007-19, University of Paris West - Nanterre la Défense, EconomiX. [Downloadable!]
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  4. LEROUX, Marie-Louise & PONTHIERE, GrŽgory, 2008. "Optimal tax policy and expected longevity: a mean and variance approach," CORE Discussion Papers 2008039, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE). [Downloadable!]
  5. Kevin M. Murphy & Robert H. Topel, 2006. "The Value of Health and Longevity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 114(5), pages 871-904, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Marie-Louise Leroux & Pierre Pestieau & Grégory Ponthière, 2008. "Optimal linear taxation under endogenous longevity," PSE Working Papers 2008-49, PSE (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
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  7. Jie Zhang & Junsen Zhang & Michael Leung, 2006. "Health investment, saving, and public policy," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 39(1), pages 68-93, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. 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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  1. Grégory Ponthière, 2008. "Unequal longevities and lifestyles transmission," PSE Working Papers 2008-68, PSE (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
  2. Marie-Louise Leroux & Grégory Ponthière, 2009. "Utilitarianism and unequal longevities: A remedy?," PSE Working Papers 2009-19, PSE (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
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