Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Zeen He
Author-Name-First: Zeen
Author-Name-Last: He
Author-Name: Luu Duc Toan  Huynh
Author-Name-First: Luu Duc Toan 
Author-Name-Last: Huynh
Title: Wealth, Medical Spending, and Health
Abstract: This paper leverages China’s 2006 housing reform and a non-parametric Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) to identify the causal impact of housing wealth on health and healthcare spending across age groups. We document a rich series of findings. A positive housing wealth shock leads to an increase in out-of-pocket medical expenses of the elderly and children, at both the extensive and intensive margins, thereby improving their health. These effects differ across age cohorts, highlighting how positive wealth shocks are translated into health improvements through both direct spending and private insurance uptake. In contrast, these health effects are not evident among young adults. Overall, these results indicate that wealth shock reduces health inequality within vulnerable households. The underlying mechanisms also differ by age group: a pure wealth effect for the elderly, precautionary savings incentives for younger adults, and inter-generational investments for children.
Creation-Date: 2026
Number: 435271056
Classification-JEL: 
Keywords: 
Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:435271056