The direct medical costs associated with obesity, smoking, and other non-healthy habits are estimated to account for more than 20% of U.S. health spending. Hence, poor health choices induce significant aggregate shift in spending away from treating competing?non preventable?medical risks and...

I study duopolistic market for differentiated medical products. Medical providers decide whether to sell on the spot market to sick consumers or to sell through competitive insurance market to healthy consumers. While shopping for insurance consumers know only the distribution of possible...

Endogenous accumulation of human capital increases labor productivity and promotes technological progress in the medical industry. Technological progress lowers the relative price of health services. The rising income and decreasing price of health services allow the elderly to prolong their...