Chronic Diseases, Labor Supply and Medical Expenditure at Older Age: Evidence from China

China has undergone a rapid epidemiological transition from infectious diseases to chronic diseases. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this paper documents the profile of chronic diseases among older Chinese people, estimates the impact of the onset of chronic diseases on the labor supply, and examines the correlation between the prevalence of chronic diseases, a household’s medical expenditure and the role of health insurance in reducing medical costs. Empirical results show that the prevalence of chronic diseases is extremely high among older Chinese people and increases sharply with age. We find significant negative effects from the onset of chronic diseases on an individual’s livelihood at work. The estimation results by age and education suggest that the labor supply of the older and more highly educated people is more sensitive to the onset of chronic diseases. We also show that there can be a substantial indirect loss of individual and household income due to the onset of chronic diseases by limiting the labor supply. We find that the prevalence of chronic diseases is significantly associated with higher out-of-pocket medical expenditure. The reduced-form estimation results suggest that people with insurance have lower medical expenditure caused by minor chronic diseases, but this is only the case for women and urban residents. However, health insurance contributes little in reducing medical expenditure caused by major chronic diseases.     

中国基本养老保险最优财政支出规模测算——基于柯布-道格拉斯生产函数的一项研究

以内生增长理论为基础,运用巴罗的财政支出自然效率条件和改进的柯布-道格拉斯生产函数分别对中国城镇职工基本养老保险和城乡居民基本养老保险的最优财政支出规模进行测算,发现中国城镇职工基本养老保险和城乡居民基本养老保险的最优财政支出规模分别为2.33%和0.81%,目前两项养老保险的财政支出皆已超过了最优财政支出规模。为缓解养老保险的财政补贴压力,保证养老保险制度的良性运行,建议落实划转国有资本充实全国社会保障基金政策,实施基础养老金全国统筹,激发城镇职工和城乡居民缴费的积极性。     

Price Endogeneity and Food Demand in Urban China

Price endogeneity has been ignored in previous analyses of food demand in urban China. We exploit data provided by the China National Bureau of Statistics on agricultural commodity supply shifters and use reduced‐form price equations to account for price endogeneity. Applying our unique econometric approach to the analysis of provincial‐level food demand in China, we find strong statistical evidence of price endogeneity. Models that ignore price endogeneity result in substantially biased elasticities and misleading estimates of future food demand in China.     

经营绩效反馈、环境不确定性与企业广告投入

基于2012～2015年深沪两市A股上市公司样本数据,对经营绩效反馈和企业广告投入之间的关系进行了理论分析和实证检验,并进一步考察了环境不确定性的调节作用。研究结果表明：（1）当企业未实现资本市场经营预期时,随着实际绩效低于经营预期程度的增大,企业广告投入将减少;（2）当企业实现资本市场经营预期时,随着实际绩效高于经营预期程度的增大,企业广告投入将增加;（3）当企业未实现资本市场经营预期时,与低不确定性环境相比,高不确定性环境中企业经营绩效负反馈对广告投入的负向影响将增强;（4）当企业实现资本市场经营预期时,与低不确定性环境相比,高不确定性环境中企经营绩效正反馈对企业广告投入的正向影响将增强。     

人力资本视角下高等教育发展对产业结构升级影响的实证研究——基于VAR模型的回归估计

高等教育发展与产业结构升级之间具有密切关系。本文利用1998—2012年间的数据,在VAR模型估计的基础上,使用协整检验、脉冲响应、方差分解和Granger因果关系检验对高等教育发展与产业结构升级之间的动态影响关系做了实证研究。结果发现,高等教育投入经费不利于我国产业结构升级;而高等教育毕业生促进了我国产业结构高级化进程,并且是其调整优化的Granger原因。     

基于DEA模型的地方公共文化财政支出绩效评价——以青岛市为例

提高公共文化服务水平是地方政府加强财政管理的重要内容之一,评价地方公共文化财政支出绩效成为促进文化事业发展的关键。近年来,青岛市地方公共文化财政支出规模不断上升,但与市域范围内基本公共文化服务均等化要求相比尚有一定差距,亟需进行地方公共文化财政支出的绩效评价。DEA模型实证分析结果表明:青岛市公共文化财政支出的综合技术效率不高,公共文化资源供给能力存在较大提升空间;规模效率呈下降趋势,公共文化财政投入能力尚未达到最佳;纯技术效率上下波动,公共文化财政支出服务能力缺乏稳定性。鉴于此,建立多元化的公共文化资金来源机制、形成公共文化财政投入的稳定增长机制、完善相关财政资金绩效考核机制成为当前青岛市提高地方公共文化财政支出绩效的客观选择。     

对优化我国财政农业支出问题的思考

在国际金融危机下,我国采取积极的财政政策,加大了对"三农"工作的投入。通过分析我国财政政策投资领域方向、财政农业支出的现状与存在的问题,以及财政农业支出与国内生产总值之间的相关系数与回归模型,提出优化我国财政农业支出的对策与建议,促进农村与农业发展,不断增加农民收入。     

腐败与公共支出结构问题研究——基于我国城市数据的实证分析

现有研究一致认为腐败会促使财政支出规模膨胀,导致公共支出结构扭曲。本文采用我国东、中、西部120个城市的经验证据,实证检验了地方政府腐败对公共支出结构的影响,并提出了相应的政策建议。实证研究发现,腐败显著提高了行政管理支出的比重,但其对经济建设支出相对规模的影响则是不确定的。     

Analysis of Korean millennials’ travel expenditure patterns: an almost ideal demand system approach

ABSTRACT

Generational cohorts can differ in their consumption patterns and preferred travel behavior. As the millennial generation represents an important economic force and influences new consumption trends, this study utilizes nationwide data and almost ideal demand system (AIDS) approach to examine expenditure patterns of Korean travelers during holidays. In this process, the joint effects of travel-related characteristics are also examined. The results of the AIDS estimation on data from 871 domestic travelers reveal significantly different travel expenditure patterns for cohorts. The findings contribute to furthering the understanding of how different generational cohorts allocate their travel budgets to respective travel expenditure categories.     

Medical resource utilisation and healthcare costs in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection and thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Background:

Thrombocytopenia is a significant risk for patients with chronic HCV infection and a common side-effect of treatment with pegylated (PEG) interferon (IFN). Thrombocytopenia predisposes patients to bleeding and requirements for platelet transfusions, and may thus place an increased burden on patients and on medical resource utilisation.

Scope:

In a retrospective analysis of an integrated, longitudinal database of medical and pharmacy claims and laboratory results in a US commercial health (insurance) plan, patients with chronic hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection were identified by reviewing ICD-9-CM HCV-, chronic liver disease-, and cirrhosis-related diagnoses. Medical resource utilisation and laboratory results were evaluated during the year following the HCV diagnosis index date as well as during the baseline year prior to that index date. Medical resource utilisation was determined by comparing outpatient visits, emergency department (ER) visits, and inpatient hospital stays for HCV patients with or without thrombocytopenia.

Findings:

HCV patients diagnosed with thrombocytopenia had a greater incidence of bleeding events (27.3 vs. 9.9%), platelet transfusions (8.5 vs. <1%), liver disease-related ambulatory visits (10.4 vs. 4.4; odds ratio [OR]?=?2.3; p?<?0.001), ER visits (OR?=?8.6; p?<?0.01), and inpatient hospital stays (OR?=?17.7; p?<?0.01) during the study period compared with HCV patients without a thrombocytopenia diagnosis. HCV patients with thrombocytopenia had significantly higher overall healthcare costs ($37,924 vs. $12,174; p?<?0.001) and liver disease-related costs ($14,569 vs. $4107; p?<?0.001) than patients without thrombocytopenia.

Limitations:

Administrative claims data are subject to coding errors; additionally, the patient population may not be completely representative of the general chronic HCV population.

Conclusions:

Diagnosis of thrombocytopenia in patients with HCV is associated with increased incidence of certain comorbidities, complications, and medical interventions, and significantly increased medical resource utilisation.