This paper reports on a re-evaluation of the German health care reform of 1997. A previous evaluation found a limited effect of a 4.4 percent reduction of the number of doctor visits in a sample of pharmacy customers. The re-evaluation based on a representative household survey, the German...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“ACA”) requires most Americans to obtain health insurance for themselves and their dependents by 2014. In a recent essay, Professor Douglas Kahn and Professor Jeffrey Kahn take issue with one of several justifications for what has...

In 2007, regular and occasional smokers accounted for 28% of the Swiss population aged 15 and above, whereas the proportion was significantly higher ten years earlier (33%). This paper uses data from the 2007 edition of the Swiss Health Survey to investigate the association between overall...

This study examines the impact of tort reform on minority access to medical care. Past research has investigated tort reform, but this is the first study to consider minority healthcare access. I examine 261 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) from 1993-2000 to test the impact of non-economic...

Political and economic transition is often blamed for Russia’s 40% surge in deaths between 1990 and 1994 (the “Russian Mortality Crisis”). Highlighting that increases in mortality occurred primarily among alcohol-related causes and among working-age men (the heaviest drinkers), this paper...

This symposium essay examines the two interrelated provisions in the Affordable Care Act that are designed to encourage individuals to purchase health insurance: the individual mandate and premium tax credits. It sets aside the constitutional issues raised by the mandate, and instead examines...

This essay explores the new social contract of healthcare solidarity through private ownership, markets, choice, and individual responsibility embodied in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This essay first explains the four main health care risk distribution institutions affected...

Using SOEP panel data and difference-in-differences methods, this study is the first to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of four different health care cost containment measures within an integrated framework. The four measures investigated were introduced in Germany in 1997 to reduce moral...

The public authorities are facing real challenges due to the complexity and dynamics of economic and social issues. They must daily assess the available resources and answer to questions such as "is the citizens' welfare good enough, can it be improved?" "there are the initiatives for the...

Can better housing protect us from extreme weather conditions? Although economists and policymakers are certain about the health implications of housing upgrades, empirical evidence is largely missing or based on small-scale experiments in developing countries. This study provides...