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Rising health spending, new medical technology and the Baumol effect

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  • Marc Pomp
  • Suncica Vujic

Abstract

This paper estimates the Baumol effect in health spending, using a panel data set of OECD countries. Health expenditure as a share of GDP rises in most OECD countries. One of the possible causes is the so-called Baumol effect, which may arise if labour productivity in health care grows more slowly than in the overall economy. If in addition demand for health care is inelastic, then the share of health spending in GDP will rise over time. We do indeed find that one percentage growth in economy-wide labour productivity is associated with about 0.5 percent growth in real health spending. This implies that economy-wide productivity growth leads to higher real health spending.

Suggested Citation

  • Marc Pomp & Suncica Vujic, 2008. "Rising health spending, new medical technology and the Baumol effect," CPB Discussion Paper 115, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpb:discus:115
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rubinstein, A., 2019. "On State Investments in the Humanitarian Sector of Economy," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 41(1), pages 225-233.
    2. Rubinstein, A., 2014. "Introductory Note," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 24(4), pages 182-184.
    3. Kamil Dybczak & Bartosz Przywara, 2010. "The role of technology in health care expenditure in the EU," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 400, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    4. Kox, Henk L.M., 2011. "The future of the fence around the European labour market," MPRA Paper 31722, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Felipa de Mello-Sampayo & Sofia de Sousa-Vale, 2014. "Financing Health Care Expenditure in the OECD Countries: Evidence from a Heterogeneous, Cross-Sectional Dependent Panel," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 61(2), pages 207-225.
    6. Robert P. Hagemann, 2012. "Fiscal Consolidation: Part 6. What Are the Best Policy Instruments for Fiscal Consolidation?," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 937, OECD Publishing.
    7. Rubinstein, A., 2012. "Trends and Regularities of Consumption in the Performing Arts," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 158-164.
    8. Błażej Łyszczarz & Ewelina Nojszewska, 2015. "Determinants of health care expenditure in Europe," Collegium of Economic Analysis Annals, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, issue 39, pages 183-198.
    9. Rubinstein Alexander, 2012. "Studying “Sponsored Goods” in Cultural Sector Symptoms and Consequences of Baumol’s Cost Disease," Creative and Knowledge Society, Sciendo, vol. 2(2), pages 35-57, December.
    10. Eric Nauenberg, 2014. "Changing healthcare capital-to-labor ratios: evidence and implications for bending the cost curve in Canada and beyond," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 339-353, December.
    11. Felipa de Mello-Sampayo & Sofia de Sousa-Vale, 2014. "Financing Health Care Expenditure in the OECD Countries: Evidence from a Heterogeneous, Cross-Sectional Dependent Panel," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 61(2), pages 207-225, March.
    12. Eric Nauenberg, 2014. "Changing Healthcare Capital-To-Labor Ratios: Evidence and Implications for Bending the Cost Curve in Canada and Beyond," Working Papers 140002, Canadian Centre for Health Economics, revised Jul 2014.
    13. Astolfi, Roberto & Lorenzoni, Luca & Oderkirk, Jillian, 2012. "Informing policy makers about future health spending: A comparative analysis of forecasting methods in OECD countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(1), pages 1-10.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets

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