Perspectives on the Economics of Aging

This book investigates several important issues in the economics of aging, including the accumulation of wealth and the relationship between health and financial prosperity. Examining the changes in savings behavior and investment priorities in the United States over the past few decades, contributors to the volume point to a dramatic shift from employer-managed, defined benefit pensions to employee-controlled retirement savings plans. Further, the legislative reforms of the 1980s and the booming stock market of the 1990s did their share to influence the individual wealth accumulation patterns of Americans. These papers also explore the relationship between health status and economic status, considering factors like pension income and health, mortality, and medical care. The findings are based on evidence from the United States, Britain, South Africa, and Russia. The volume culminates with wide-ranging discussions on a number of key issues in the field, including innovations and factors that have contributed to a decline in mortality rates, the various medical advances that have benefited different groups and populations over time, and the determinants of expenditures on health.