Understanding Cross-Country Differences in Health Status and Expenditures: Health Prices Matter

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fonseca, Raquel; Langot, Francois; Michaud, Pierre-Carl; Sopraseuth, Thepthida
• 署名单位: Universite de Montreal; University of Quebec; University of Quebec Montreal; Le Mans Universite; Paris School of Economics; Institut Universitaire de France; IZA Institute Labor Economics; Universite de Montreal; HEC Montreal; National Bureau of Economic Research; CY Cergy Paris Universite
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/724113
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 1949-1993
• 关键词: UNITED-STATES; medical-care; disadvantage; COMPETITION; INNOVATION; americans; disease; demand; GROWTH; COSTS

摘要

Using a general equilibrium heterogeneous agent model featuring health production, we quantify the contribution of health price in explaining cross-country differences in health expenditures and health status. Considering other country-specific explanatory factors, US health prices are estimated to be 33% higher than those of European countries. This price differential explains more than 60% of the difference in health expenditures and more than half of the difference in health status between Europe and the United States. Despite its large impact at the aggregate level, these price differences increase the lifetime cost of living of Americans by 2 percentage points.