This discussion paper resulted in the publication 'Wealth and Health Behavior: Testing the Concept of a Health Cost … phenomenon by developing a theory of health behavior, and exploiting both lottery winnings and inheritances to test the theory …. We distinguish between the direct monetary cost and the indirect health cost (value of health lost) of unhealthy …

Understanding of the substantial disparity in health between low and high socioeconomic status (SES) groups is hampered … disparities in health by SES. In our model, lifestyle factors, working conditions, retirement, living conditions and curative care … are mechanisms through which SES, health and mortality are related. Our model predicts a widening and possibly a …