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Health Care Inflation And Its Implications For Monetary Policy

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  • Takeshi Yagihashi
  • Juan Du

Abstract

Motivated by recent findings on the cyclical movement of both health and health spending, we construct a general equilibrium model that distinguishes health care demand from the demand for other goods. Using this model, we are able to generate inflation dynamics and cyclicality of health that match the US data. When the model is subjected to an expansionary monetary policy shock, it yields different output and inflation responses compared with a two-sector model with homogeneous demand. We show that the trade-off between leisure and health spending plays an important role in model dynamics. The model further predicts different degrees of inflation stabilization across sectors when a shift in the monetary policy occurs . ( JEL E52, E31, E32, I10)

Suggested Citation

  • Takeshi Yagihashi & Juan Du, 2015. "Health Care Inflation And Its Implications For Monetary Policy," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 53(3), pages 1556-1579, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:53:y:2015:i:3:p:1556-1579
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    3. Ani Asoyan & Vahagn Davtyan & Haykaz Igityan & Hasmik Kartashyan & Hovhannes Manukyan, 2020. "Modelling the Effects of a Health Shock on the Armenian Economy," Working Papers 15, Central Bank of Armenia, revised Dec 2020.
    4. Mohammad Monirul Islam & Farha Fatema, 2020. "Covid-19 and Sustainable Tourism: Macroeconomic Effect and Policy Comparison among Europe, the USA and China," Asian Business Review, Asian Business Consortium, vol. 10(1), pages 53-60.
    5. Ali Keshavarzi & Shokooh Mahmoodi & Hamid Reza Horry, 2024. "Investigating the economic and environmental effects of a pandemic and its policy responses: a Bayesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(11), pages 29269-29292, November.
    6. Ani Asoyan & Vahagn Davtyan & Haykaz Igityan & Hasmik Kartashyan & Hovhannes Manukyan, 2020. "Modelling the Effects of a Health Shock on the Armenian Economy," Russian Journal of Money and Finance, Bank of Russia, vol. 79(4), pages 18-44, December.
    7. Li, Chao & Cang, Han, 2026. "Health, incentives, and retirement choice: A life-cycle analysis from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    8. Yang, Yang & Zhang, Hongru & Chen, Xiang, 2020. "Coronavirus pandemic and tourism: Dynamic stochastic general equilibrium modeling of infectious disease outbreak," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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