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Going from bad to worse: Adaptation to poor health, health spending, longevity, and the value of life

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  • Schünemann, Johannes
  • Strulik, Holger
  • Trimborn, Timo

Abstract

Aging humans adapt to their worsening state of health and old people are usually happier than estimated by young individuals. In this paper we investigate how adaptation to a deteriorating state of health affects health spending, life expectancy, and the value of life. We set up a a life cycle model in which individuals are subject to physiological aging, calibrate it with data from gerontology, and compare behavior and outcomes of adapting and non-adapting individuals. While adaptation generally increases the value of life (by about 2 to 5 percent), its impact on health behavior and longevity depends crucially on whether individuals are aware of their adaptive behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Schünemann, Johannes & Strulik, Holger & Trimborn, Timo, 2015. "Going from bad to worse: Adaptation to poor health, health spending, longevity, and the value of life," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 268, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:cegedp:268
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; adaption; aging; longevity; health care demand;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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