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What Is Driving Up Health Care Costs? Does Pollution Play A Role: Oecd Country Panel Data Analysis, Sean Gillis

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This study investigates the rising health care costs among nine OECD nations from 1990 to 2014. A panel data analysis was conducted to analyze specific causes for these rises. Total health care expenditure is the dependent variable with carbon dioxide emissions being the main variable of interest. Analysis finds that the economy has grown faster than health care expenditures, and a negative relationship between CO2 emissions, elderly populations, urban population growth rates and health care expenditure.