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Optimal Choice of Health and Retirement in a Life-Cycle Model

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  • Kuhn, Michael
  • Wrzaczek, Stefan
  • Prskawetz, Alexia
  • Feichtinger, Gustav

Abstract

We examine within a life-cycle set-up the choice of health and retirement. Health care contributes to a reduction in both mortality, determining the need to accumulate retirement wealth, and in morbidity, determining the disutility of work. The retirement age affects health through the value of survival and the value of morbidity reductions. We compare the allocation for a first-best setting where the individual can transfer wealth freely within a perfect annuity market with a second-best set-up with an incentive incompatible (yet actuarially fair) retirement scheme and an imperfect annuity market and show how the inefficiencies shape the health-retirement nexus.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuhn, Michael & Wrzaczek, Stefan & Prskawetz, Alexia & Feichtinger, Gustav, 2011. "Optimal Choice of Health and Retirement in a Life-Cycle Model," VfS Annual Conference 2011 (Frankfurt, Main): The Order of the World Economy - Lessons from the Crisis 48681, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc11:48681
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    annuities; demand for health; moral hazard; life-cycle-model; optimal control; retirement; value of life;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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