Perspectives on the Economics of Aging

Published by University of Chicago Press 2004

Perspectives on the Economics of Aging

Edited by: David A. Wise

In the series National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report

https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226903286

Overview
Contents

About this book

This book investigates several important issues in the economics of aging, including the accumulation of wealth and the relationship between health and financial prosperity.

Examining the changes in savings behavior and investment priorities in the United States over the past few decades, contributors to the volume point to a dramatic shift from employer-managed, defined benefit pensions to employee-controlled retirement savings plans. Further, the legislative reforms of the 1980s and the booming stock market of the 1990s did their share to influence individual wealth accumulation patterns of Americans.

These studies also explore the relationship between health status and economic status. Considering issues like pension income and health, mortality, and medical care, contributors present evidence from the United States, Britain, South Africa, and Russia. The volume culminates with wide-ranging discussions on a number of key topics in the field including the innovations that have contributed to a decline in mortality rates; the various medical advances that have benefited populations over time; and the determinants of expenditures on health. The findings with regard to cross-sectional differences in health outcomes and health care utilization also pose troubling questions for policymakers seeking to democratize health care across regions and races.

Author information

David A. Wise is the John F. Stambaugh Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is also the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, director of the NBER Program on Aging, and editor of many titles including Themes in the Economics of Aging and Advances in the Economics of Aging.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Introduction David A. Wise Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. The Transition to Personal Accounts and Increasing Retirement Wealth: Macro- and Microevidence James M. Poterba, Steven F. Venti, David A. Wise and Sylvester J. Schieber Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	17
2. For Better or for Worse: Default Effects and 401(k) Savings Behavior James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Andrew Metrick and James M. Poterba Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	81
3. Aging and Housing Equity: Another Look Steven F. Venti, David A. Wise and Jonathan Skinner Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
4. Intergenerational Transfers and Savings Behavior Jeffrey R. Brown, Scott J. Weisbenner and Alan J. Auerbach Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
5. Wealth Portfolios in the United Kingdom and the United States James Banks, Richard Blundell, James P. Smith and John B. Shoven Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	205
6. Mortality, Income, and Income Inequality over Time in Britain and the United States Angus Deaton, Christina Paxson and James Banks Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247
7. Does Money Protect Health Status? Evidence from South African Pensions Anne Case and Robert T. Jensen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	287
8. Socioeconomic Status, Nutrition, and Health among the Elderly Robert T. Jensen and David M. Cutler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	313
9. Changes in the Age Distribution of Mortality over the Twentieth Century David M. Cutler and Ellen Meara Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	333
10. Area Differences in Utilization of Medical Care and Mortality among U.S. Elderly Victor R. Fuchs, Mark McClellan, Jonathan Skinner and Joseph P. Newhouse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	367
11. Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? Tests for Direct Causal Paths between Health and Socioeconomic Status Peter Adams, Michael D. Hurd, Daniel McFadden, Angela Merrill, Tiago Ribeiro and James M. Poterba Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	415
Contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	527
Author Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	531
Subject Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	535

Language: English
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 392
Illustrations
- Other: 100 line drawings, 129 tables
Keywords: age; aging; elderly; older; old; political economy; government; governing; economics; wealth; money; finances; health; healthy; healthcare; medical support; prosperity; savings; behavior; investments; priorities; united states of america; american culture; usa; pensions; retirement; reform; accumulation; personal income; mortality; great britain; south africa; british; african; russia; russian; policy; democracy; democratization

eBook

Published: November 1, 2007
ISBN: 9780226903286