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Do the age profiles of health care expenditure really steepen over time? New evidence from Swiss cantons

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  • Felder, Stefan
  • Werblow, Andreas

Abstract

The red herring hypothesis contends that the high health care expenditure in old age is caused by proximity to death rather than calendar age. Dissenters point to longitudinal data and claim that health care expenditure age profiles tend to steepen over time. The present paper tests the steepening claim for Swiss health insurance, covering the time period 1997 to 2006 and 25 cantons. It analyzes the cantonal health care expenditure profile of men and women, taking into account differences in the mortality rates. The study covers seven components of health care, including long-term care. By and large, no evidence is found for relevant steepening effects of age profiles for either total, or the components, of health care expenditure.

Suggested Citation

  • Felder, Stefan & Werblow, Andreas, 2008. "Do the age profiles of health care expenditure really steepen over time? New evidence from Swiss cantons," Dresden Discussion Paper Series in Economics 05/08, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:tuddps:0508
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Zweifel & Stefan Felder & Andreas Werblow, 2004. "Population Ageing and Health Care Expenditure: New Evidence on the “Red Herring”," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 29(4), pages 652-666, October.
    2. Andreas Werblow & Stefan Felder & Peter Zweifel, 2007. "Population ageing and health care expenditure: a school of ‘red herrings’?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(10), pages 1109-1126, October.
    3. Florian Buchner & Jürgen Wasem, 2006. "“Steeping” of Health Expenditure Profiles," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 31(4), pages 581-599, October.
    4. Office of Health Economics, 2007. "The Economics of Health Care," For School 001490, Office of Health Economics.
    5. Andreas Werblow & Stefan Felder & Peter Zweifel, 2007. "Population ageing and health care expenditure: a school of 'red herrings'?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(10), pages 1109-1126.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

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    2. Wong, Albert & Wouterse, Bram & Slobbe, Laurentius C.J. & Boshuizen, Hendriek C. & Polder, Johan J., 2012. "Medical innovation and age-specific trends in health care utilization: Findings and implications," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 263-272.
    3. Friedrich Breyer & Normann Lorenz, 2021. "The “red herring” after 20 years: ageing and health care expenditures," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(5), pages 661-667, July.
    4. Stefan Felder, 2013. "The Impact of Demographic Change on Healthcare Expenditure," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 11(01), pages 03-06, April.
    5. Fredrik Gregersen, 2014. "The impact of ageing on health care expenditures: a study of steepening," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(9), pages 979-989, December.
    6. Chang, Shun-Chiao & Lin, Chi-Feng & Yeh, Ta-Chun & Chang, Chun-Wei, 2019. "Determinants of the performance of traditional Chinese medicine clinics in Taiwan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(4), pages 379-387.
    7. Guohua Liu & Mohammed Arshad Khan & Ahsanuddin Haider & Moin Uddin, 2022. "Financial Development and Environmental Degradation: Promoting Low-Carbon Competitiveness in E7 Economies’ Industries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Stefan Felder, 2013. "The Impact of Demographic Change on Healthcare Expenditure," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 11(1), pages 03-06, 04.
    9. Melberg, Hans Olav & Sørensen, Jan, 2013. "How does end of life costs and increases in life expectancy affect projections of future hospital spending?," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2013:9, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    10. Thomas Url, 2011. "Private Versicherungen als Finanzierungsquelle für den Pflegebedarf im Alter," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 41358, February.
    11. Viktor von Wyl & Konstantin Beck, 2014. "Risk adjustment in aging societies," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. repec:ces:ifodic:v:11:y:2013:i:1:p:19078503 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ageing; health care expenditure; end-of-life expenditure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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