Economic progress and advances of medical technology have helped increase life expectancy. Nevertheless, a marked aging of the population has raised concerns that this progress may increase health care spending beyond sustainable levels. In previous research, Swiss economist Peter Zweifel found however that the share of the population approaching death--that...

Recent research by University of Minnesota professors Stephen Parente and Roger Feldman finds that combining the most recent models of consumer-driven health plans with a reform of the tax treatment of health insurance would substantially increase overall health insurance coverage. They estimate that adopting the George W. Bush plan for...

Tax-favored health accounts, including flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs), are an increasingly popular way for employees to pay for some of their out-of-pocket health expenses using pre-tax dollars. Do such accounts improve the incentives for workers to purchase health care more carefully? Do employers providing FSAs...