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on Demographic Economics |
| By: | Moreno-Ternero, Juan D. (Universidad Pablo de Olavide); Østerdal, Lars Peter (Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School) |
| Abstract: | The normative principle that every individual is equally entitled to continued life is a subject of debate in ethics, health economics and policy. We reconsider this principle in the context of setting priorities for healthcare interventions. When applied without restriction, the principle overlooks quality of life concerns entirely. However, we contend that it remains ethically relevant in certain situations, particularly when patients su↵er from conditions unrelated to the therapeutic areas and treatments under consideration. Thus, we defend the principle while also emphasizing the need for its application within tight limits. |
| Keywords: | Equal entitlement to continued life; Population health; Morbidity; Mortality; QALYs |
| JEL: | D63 D71 I14 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–11–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cbsnow:2024_018 |
| By: | M.D.J.W. Wijesinghe (University of Waikato); Michael P. Cameron (University of Waikato); Susan Olivia (University of Waikato); Les Oxley (University of Waikato) |
| Abstract: | Lifespan inequality refers to the variation in the age at which people die or the uncertainty surrounding the time of their death. This study investigates the patterns of lifespan inequality at the state level in the United States over 55 years, utilising Theil's entropy index. We also explore the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with lifespan inequality using a Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) model. We observe a strong and statistically significant negative correlation between life expectancy and inequality in lifespan at the state level overall and for both males and females. In terms of demographic and socioeconomic factors, the percentage of individuals who have completed high school and college education, the percentage of the Hispanic population, the number of physicians, the percentage of individuals under 65 with insurance, and population growth are all negatively associated with lifespan inequality. Moreover, there is a positive association between lifespan inequality and the rates of violent crime, CO2 emissions per capita, cigarette smoking, and income inequality. Our results reiterate that policies aimed at tackling disparities in socioeconomic position could also serve as useful strategies for addressing health disparities. |
| Keywords: | Lifespan inequality; Theil index; Socioeconomic inequality; United States |
| JEL: | I14 I18 J19 |
| Date: | 2024–11–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wai:econwp:24/09 |
| By: | Kunze, Astrid (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration) |
| Abstract: | On 9 October 2023, Claudia Goldin was announced as winner of the 2023 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. It can certainly be said that many had long awaited the recognition of her research on women and inequality in labour markets. Goldin is a labour economist and economic historian who has shed new light on economic questions related to gender equality, particularly through historical data. This article summarises some of her major contributions to our understanding of the labour market behaviour of women and gender inequality. |
| Keywords: | gender; labour market; wages; employment; discrimination; equal pay for equal work; gender segregation; labour demand and supply |
| JEL: | J10 J20 J23 |
| Date: | 2024–12–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2024_019 |
| By: | Wolfgang Frimmel; Felix Glaser |
| Abstract: | Health equality is an important objective in public healthcare systems, and still, we see substantial socio-economic differences. Using high-quality administrative data from Upper Austria, we analyze the socio-economic gradient in mortality and healthcare utilization following a cancer diagnosis. High-SES patients are less likely to die after a cancer hospitalization even when accounting for a comprehensive set of controls, including detailed pre-shock healthcare use. After hospital discharge, patients navigate the healthcare system differently depending on their socio-economic status. We explore potential explanations for the observed SES gradient. Our findings suggest that low-SES cancer patients go to the hospital at a later stage of the disease. Peer groups also matter in explaining SES differences, while healthcare providers do not appear to contribute significantly to the gap. Targeted policies that take into account disease heterogeneity, health awareness, and prevention behavior have the potential to reduce health inequalities. |
| Keywords: | Health Inequality, SES, Mortality, Health Behavior, Cancer. |
| JEL: | I14 I12 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jku:econwp:2024-14 |
| By: | Yunho Cho (Jinan University); Jiseob Kim (Yonsei University); Julie Kim (University of Wisconsin Madison) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates consumption responses to idiosyncratic income shocks, focusing on the elderly in Korea—an economy with the highest old-age poverty rate among developed nations. Using a semi-structural model of income and consumption dynamics alongside household survey data from Korea, the U.S., and Australia, we find that Korean elderly households exhibit consumption responses to permanent income shocks that are 30 percentage points higher than those of middle-aged households in Korea and 57 percentage points higher than those of elderly households in the U.S. and Australia. These large consumption responses are primarily driven by the low wealth elderly, who lack sufficient self-insurance. Our findings emphasize the significant role of poverty, which remains highly persistent throughout the life cycle in Korea, in undermining the elderly’s ability to maintain consumption insurance, thereby deteriorating their welfare. Furthermore, our results highlight the critical role of government transfers in providing consumption insurance for the elderly. |
| Keywords: | Consumption Responses; Income Risks; Old-Age Poverty |
| JEL: | C13 C33 D12 D14 E21 |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:yon:wpaper:2024rwp-234 |