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Inheritances, health and death
Author(s) -
Kim Beomsoo,
Ruhm Christopher J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.1695
Subject(s) - affect (linguistics) , health care , consumption (sociology) , obesity , environmental health , alcohol consumption , demographic economics , medical care , medicine , business , gerontology , economics , psychology , economic growth , nursing , alcohol , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , communication , sociology
SUMMARY We examine how wealth shocks, in the form of inheritances, affect the mortality rates, health status and health behaviors of older adults, using data from eight waves of the Health and Retirement Survey. Our main finding is that bequests do not have substantial effects on health, although improvements in quality‐of‐life are possible. This absence occurs despite increases in out‐of‐pocket spending on healthcare and in the utilization of medical services, especially discretionary and non‐lifesaving types such as dental care. Nor can we find a convincing indication of changes in lifestyles that offset the benefits of increased medical care. Inheritances are associated with higher alcohol consumption, but with no change in smoking or exercise and a possible decrease in obesity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.