Estimating lifetime healthcare costs with morbidity data
We don't know when we can get an illness, how much it will cost to treat and how much time will last. Thats the rationale for being insured. However, if you were born in 2007 your lifetime healthcare costs in Baix Empordà were 111.936 € for women and 81.566 € for men (on average and without any additional assumption about changes in unit costs). As far as this is the average, mandatory insurance allows for compensating those in ill health by those that are healthy. This is an unique efficient result, any departure from such option would require individual savings and potential debt when having an illness.
We have just published such estimation in BMC Health Services Research, those of you that follow this blog will remember this 2011 post. Lifetime health trajectories is a challenge for research, our contribution is just one of the first steps in such direction.
PS. Must read (as usual), Uwe Reinhardt blog on Angus Deaton.
PS. Economic and financial conditions are again "bubble-like.". WSJ dixit today. I agree.
PS. Toni Catany, exhibition at Galeria Trama.
