Abstract

In a general equilibrium, overlapping generations framework this paper examines how the tax-benefit system that underlies the US health care system affects the well-being of different age groups, and the lifetime well-being of different socio-economic groups, as well as society as a whole. We find that the optimal set and generosity of publicly funded health care programs is sensitive to the social welfare function and to the prices that various agents in society pay for medical care. Social welfare under the current financing system is also compared to alternative financing mechanisms such as Medical Savings Accounts.