The effects of technology on the age distribution of health spending
Subtitle: a cross-country perspective
By: Louise Sheiner.
Series: Finance and economics discussion series ;; 2004-14; Finance and economics discussion series (Online) ;; 2004-14.
Publisher: Federal Reserve Board
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Description: "The conventional method used to project a country's future health care expenditures is to assume that relative health spending by age remains constant.  This method has been criticized as being too pessimistic, on the one hand, because of continued improvements in the health status of older people, and as too optimistic, on the other, because of the effects of technological innovations on increasing health spending on the elderly relative to the nonelderly.  This paper uses cross-country data to shed light on this question.  I find that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the theoretical effects of technology on health spending are to decrease the concentration of health spending on the elderly.  Empirically, I find that relative health spending by age has been quite stable over time.  I also find that countries with the most technologically intensive health sectors spend relatively less on the oldest old compared to the younger old"--Federal Reserve Board web site.
Notes: Also available in print.
Includes bibliographical references.
Title from PDF file as viewed on 7/9/2004.
System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.