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Health, Welfare and Inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Gabriella Berloffa

    (University of Trento)

  • Agar Brugiavini

    (Department of Economics, University Of Venice Ca� Foscari)

  • Dino Rizzi

    (Department of Economics, University of Venice Ca� Foscari)

Abstract

This paper uses data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to study the relationship between health status and economic welfare at household level. We develop a model to estimate the welfare cost of ill health by exploiting the methodology of the equivalence scales. The crucial variables in this approach are, besides the health status (measured in several dimensions), the economic decisions of the household which can be directly related to health conditions, such as health-related expenses. By estimating a demand system we derive health-equivalence scales to learn about the cost of health conditions on economic welfare, controlling for other covariates. Our estimates suggest that � when taking account of health � the welfare of households in poor health drops substantially and inequality increases. There are important social welfare costs associated with differences in the health status of the elderly in the USA.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriella Berloffa & Agar Brugiavini & Dino Rizzi, 2006. "Health, Welfare and Inequality," Working Papers 2006_41, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    • Handle: RePEc:ven:wpaper:2006_41
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alari Paulus & Holly Sutherland & Panos Tsakloglou, 2010. "The distributional impact of in-kind public benefits in European countries," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 243-266.
    2. Gerlinde Verbist & Michael Föster & Vaalavou, M., 2013. "GINI DP 74: The Impact of Publicly Provided Services on the Distribution of Resources: Review of New Results and Methods," GINI Discussion Papers 74, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    3. Christos Koutsampelas & Panos Tsakloglou, 2013. "The distribution of full income in Greece," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(4), pages 311-330, March.
    4. Gabriella Berloffa & Sara Giunti, 2017. "Remittances and healthcare consumption: human capital investment or responses to shocks? Evidence from Peru," DEM Working Papers 2017/12, Department of Economics and Management.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    welfare cost; health; inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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