Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
收入再分配、预防性护理与寿命
Income redistribution, preventive care, and longevity
摘要
Would government intervention aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities lead to a healthier population and longer lives? We address this question using a structural life-cycle model with heterogeneous agents. The model is calibrated to U.S. survey and actuarial data, reproducing the age-at-death distribution, income inequality, medical expenditure patterns, the value of a statistical life, and the education–longevity gradient. We find that a universal basic income flattens the longevity gap across education levels but reduces overall longevity by weakening incentives for preventive care, a result that contrasts with recent statistical studies suggesting redistribution would increase population longevity. Instead, subsidies for preventive care raise average longevity but steepen the education–longevity gradient. In both cases, welfare effects remain uneven across education groups.
中文摘要
旨在减少社会经济不平等的政府干预是否会带来更健康的人口和更长的寿命？我们通过一个包含异质性主体的结构性生命周期模型来回答这一问题。该模型依据美国调查数据和精算数据进行校准，能够复现死亡年龄分布、收入不平等、医疗支出模式、统计生命价值以及教育与寿命梯度。我们发现，全民基本收入缩小了不同教育水平之间的寿命差距，但通过削弱预防性保健的激励而降低了总体寿命，这一结果与近期表明再分配会提高人口寿命的统计研究形成对比。相反，对预防性保健的补贴提高了平均寿命，但加剧了教育与寿命梯度。在这两种情况下，福利效应在不同教育群体之间仍然不均衡。