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Health Care Expenditure and Income in the OECD Reconsidered: Evidence from Panel Data

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  • Badi H. Baltagi
  • Francesco Moscone

Abstract

This paper reconsiders the long-run economic relationship between health care expenditure and income using a panel of 20 OECD countries observed over the period 1971-2004. In particular, the paper studies the non-stationarity and cointegration properties between health care spending and income. This is done in a panel data context controlling for both cross-section dependence and unobserved heterogeneity. Cross-section dependence is modelled through a common factor model and through spatial dependence. Heterogeneity is handled through fixed effects in a panel homogeneous model and through a panel heterogeneous model. Our findings suggest that health care is a necessity rather than a luxury, with an elasticity much smaller than that estimated in previous studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Badi H. Baltagi & Francesco Moscone, 2009. "Health Care Expenditure and Income in the OECD Reconsidered: Evidence from Panel Data," Discussion Papers in Economics 09/5, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    • Handle: RePEc:lec:leecon:09/5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health expenditure; income elasticity; cross section dependence; heterogeneous panels; factor models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health

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