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Do Remittances Help Smooth Consumption During Health Shocks? Evidence From Jamaica

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  • Beuermann, Diether
  • Ruprah, Inder J.
  • Sierra, Ricardo

Abstract

We identify whether remittances facilitate consumption smoothing during health shocks in Jamaica. In addition, we investigate whether remittances are subject to moral hazard by receivers, how the informal insurance provided by remittances interacts with formal health insurance, and whether there are differential effects by gender of the household head. We find that remittances offer complete insurance toward decreased consumption during health shocks and that moral hazard is weak. The role of remittances as a social insurance mechanism, however, is relevant only in the absence of private health insurance. No differential effects by gender of the household head are found.

Suggested Citation

  • Beuermann, Diether & Ruprah, Inder J. & Sierra, Ricardo, 2014. "Do Remittances Help Smooth Consumption During Health Shocks? Evidence From Jamaica," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6537, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:6537
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    Cited by:

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    3. Kumara, Ajantha Sisira & Samaratunge, Ramanie, 2017. "Impact of ill-health on household consumption in Sri Lanka: Evidence from household survey data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 68-76.
    4. Akim, Al-Mouksit & Ayivodji, Firmin & Kouton, Jeffrey, 2024. "Food security and the COVID-19 employment shock in Nigeria: Any ex-ante mitigating effects of past remittances?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Xiaoyu Wang & Chunan Wang, 2020. "How Does Health Status Affect Marginal Utility of Consumption? Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Ngigi, Marther W. & Müller, Ulrike & Birner, Regina, 2015. "The role of livestock portfolios and group-based approaches for building resilience in the face of accelerating climate change: An asset-based panel data analysis from rural Kenya," Discussion Papers 210703, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    7. Romuald S Kinda & Hajer Kratou, 2023. "Climatic variability, remittances and household consumption volatility In developing countries," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(1), pages 38-52.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumption; Health insurance; Social insurace; Remittances;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F24 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Remittances
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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