Health Shocks, Health Insurance, Human Capital, and the Dynamics of Earnings and Health

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Capatina, Elena; Keane, Michael
• 署名单位: Australian National University; Johns Hopkins University; University of New South Wales Sydney
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/739831
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: life-cycle model; breast-cancer; medical-care; access; PARTICIPATION; education; wages; work; diagnosis; benefits

摘要

We develop a life-cycle model of labor supply and human capital formation that incorporates health shocks, health insurance, and medical treatment decisions. We use the model to study effects of health shocks on health, labor supply, earnings, and earnings inequality. We also simulate provision of public insurance to agents who lack employer-sponsored insurance. While this increases medical spending substantially, it creates positive labor supply incentives for low-skill workers while reducing costs of social insurance, Medicaid, and free care. The net program cost is modest, and all model agents are ex ante better off in a balanced budget simulation.