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Health investment, saving, and public policy

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  • Jie Zhang
  • Junsen Zhang
  • Michael Leung

Abstract

This paper develops an overlapping-generations model in which agents invest in health to prolong life in both working and retirement periods. It explores how unfunded social security with or without health subsidies affects life expectancy, economic growth, and welfare. In particular, by extending life at a possible cost of capital accumulation, health subsidies and a pay-as-you-go pension can improve welfare, especially in the short run.

Suggested Citation

  • Jie Zhang & Junsen Zhang & Michael Leung, 2006. "Health investment, saving, and public policy," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 39(1), pages 68-93, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:39:y:2006:i:1:p:68-93
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0008-4085.2006.00339.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Marie-Louise Leroux & Pierre Pestieau & Grégory Ponthière, 2008. "Should we subsidize longevity?," Working Papers halshs-00586236, HAL.
    2. Gregory Ponthiere, 2010. "Unequal Longevities and Lifestyles Transmission," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 12(1), pages 93-126, February.
    3. Pierre Pestieau & Gregory Ponthiere & Motohiro Sato, 2008. "Longevity, Health Spending, and Pay-as-you-Go Pensions," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 64(1), pages 1-18, March.
    4. Torben M. Andersen & Joydeep Bhattacharya, 2014. "A dynamic-efficiency rationale for public investment in the health of the young," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 47(3), pages 697-719, August.
    5. Maik T. Schneider & Ralph Winkler, 2021. "Growth and Welfare under Endogenous Lifetimes," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(4), pages 1339-1384, October.
    6. Pierre-André Jouvet & Pierre Pestieau & Gregory Ponthiere, 2010. "Longevity and environmental quality in an OLG model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 100(3), pages 191-216, July.
    7. Ponthiere, Gregory, 2011. "Existence and stability of overconsumption equilibria," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 74-90.
    8. Miller, Stephen M. & Neanidis, Kyriakos C., 2015. "Demographic transition and economic welfare: The role of in-cash and in-kind transfers," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 84-92.
    9. Leroux, M.-L. & Pestieau, P. & Ponthiere, G., 2011. "Longevity, genes and efforts: An optimal taxation approach to prevention," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 62-76, January.
    10. Evangelos V. Dioikitopoulos, 2014. "Aging, growth and the allocation of public expenditures on health and education," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1173-1194, November.
    11. Hansen, Casper Worm & Lønstrup, Lars, 2009. "The optimal legal retirement age in an OLG model with endogenous labour supply," Discussion Papers on Economics 5/2009, University of Southern Denmark, Department of Economics.
    12. McLean, Karen & Hiscock, Harriet & Goldfeld, Sharon, 2022. "Timeliness and extent of health service use by Victorian (Australian) children within first year after entry to out-of-home care: Retrospective data linkage cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    13. Marie-Louise Leroux & Pierre Pestieau & Gregory Ponthiere, 2011. "Optimal linear taxation under endogenous longevity," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 24(1), pages 213-237, January.
    14. Khaled Elmawazini & Gamal Atallah & Sonny Nwankwo & Yazid Dissou, 2013. "US Foreign Affiliates, Technology Diffusion and Host Country Human Development: Human Development Index versus Human Capital," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 69-91, January.
    15. Awaworyi Churchill, S. & Yew, S.L., 2017. "Are government transfers harmful to economic growth? A meta-analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 270-287.
    16. Shuyun May Li & Solmaz Moslehi & Siew Ling Yew, 2016. "Public–private mix of health expenditure: A political economy and quantitative analysis," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(2), pages 834-866, May.
    17. Betti, Thierry & Lefebvre, Mathieu & Pestieau, Pierre, 2023. "Macroeconomics of aging," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2023002, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    18. Sefa Awaworyi & Siew Ling Yew, 2014. "Government Transfers and Growth: Is there Evidence of Genuine Effect?," Monash Economics Working Papers 40-14, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    19. Khaled Elmawazini & Pranlal Manga & Sonny Nwankwo & Bader AlNaser, 2019. "Health gap between developed and developing countries: Does globalization matter?," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 123-138, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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