Demand for Health Flashcards
Determinants of health?
Medical intervention, education, diet, exercise, heating/housing
How is health demand an individual choice?
- Rational, forward looking
- Constrained by resources
- Utility maximisers
What did the Grossman Model (1972) link?
Model of health production, sets a framework for how resources, behaviour and health all link
Properties of the items in Grossman’s model?
Health is a commodity
Medical care is derived demand
Get value for the consumption properties (utility)
Get value for investment properties (indirect utility from extra time for earning/commodities)
What type of stock is health?
A depreciating stock, which falls in the absence of investment (medical care/exercise) sort of like a form of capital
Who consumes and produces health?
Individuals- are both consumers and producers of health
Why do we not engage in unlimited health investment?
It is timely and costly, we lack the resources
How does the Grossman model form predictions?
By looking at health levels based on changes in price of investments, wages, tech, age and education
What is the basic Grossman equation? List the variables
U = U (xHo , ... , xnHn, Zo.... Zn) U = (Ht, Zt)
T= Lifespan up to n H= Healthy days Z= Consumption of commodity x = Healthy days per unit of of health (Ht)
2 household production functions and their variables for health and household production?
Health production: It = It (Mt, THt; Et)
Other commodities: Zt = Zt (Xt, TZt; Et)
It= Investment in extra health stock Mt = Medical care ( X is good to produce stock) Et = Human capital other than health (Education)
Time constraint for health?
Work + Ill + Producing health + Time Consuming = Healthy days available + Ill days = 365
What is the lifetime budget constraint?
The PV of outlays on goods to the present value of earnings and assets
What is the law of motion of health stock?
The rate of which health depreciates varies, exogenous and dependant on age
Grossman equation for death?
Hn < Hmin
Hmin = Health to survive
Investment returns too low, and depreciation too large so people chose not to invest in health
What does a pure consumption Grossman model say?
Higher investment = better health stock, giving direct utility
What does a pure investment Grossman model say?
Higher investment = better health stock, giving higher income
At the margin, Rate of investment = cost of capitial
What increases the costs in the Grossman model?
Higher cost of investment
Higher interest rate
Higher depreciation rate
What is the cost of health capital?
How much health costs
What is the MEC curve?
The marginal efficiency of capital investments describes the demand for health at the margin (return on investment = cost)
Describe the MEC curves?
Cost of capital: Vertical
Health stock:Horizontal
Foregone Interest + Depreciation: Line across, near the bottom
MEC is a downward sloping curve, intersection of the two lines is the health stock
What does the Grossman model predict about age?
- Depreciation rate increases with age (this horizontal line shifts up)
- Healthy days decreases to maintain equity (intersection is further to left)
What effect does increasing age have on the demand for health care (investment)?
Ambigious, as age/depreciation increase, returns to investment decrease.
If investment returns are larger than decrease in health stock = more investment