This dissertation studies the nonoptimal outcomes of human behavior related to health care. Health is a major component of human capital, which imposes a significant impact on individuals and the society. This dissertation aims to apply modern economic theories and models to reveal causes of nonoptimal outcomes in health care using various empirical and experimental methods. The first chapter studies why smokers tend to keep smoking even though they face a serious deterioration in health. This study employs an extension of the dynamic structural model of rational addiction. However, parametric restrictions on the Markov transition process of smoking capital are removed. This new model finds that smokers' disutility from cessation continues to increase for three to four years, thereby making quitting costly. It further proves that the dilemma between the immediate disutility from quitting and the future disutility from deterioration of health clearly exists and influences smokers' decisions. The second chapter studies the mechanisms behind disparities in the quality of medical care by racial groups and types of insurance. An endogeneity exists between the outcomes and demographic characteristics of patients in any given hospital. This issue is addressed using an instrumental variable that is constructed by simulating a patient's hospital choice. Our results prove that minority patients are systematically sorted into low quality institutions while Medicaid and charity care patients may contribute to poor outcomes. These findings suggest that hospitals serving a large number of minority patients should be given incentives to improve their quality. On the other hand, hospitals with a large number of Medicaid and charity care patients should be provided with extra funding. The third chapter studies dynamic voluntary contribution games. Due to free-rider problems, it is difficult for agents to fund public projects. Theoretical models suggest that completion bonuses and gradual contributions are effective mechanisms in preventing subjects from pursuing a non-contributing equilibrium. This chapter uses an experimental approach to investigate what facilitates the completion of public projects. It is found that subjects are able to overcome the free-rider problem when communication is allowed.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Economics
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_5853
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (viii, 124 p. : ill.)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Medical care--Evaluation
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Smoking--Psychological aspects
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Human behavior
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Daisuke Goto
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore19991600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.