This paper empirically investigates the distribution dynamics of resource allocation decisions across Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), in a continuing Prospective Payment System (PPS). The theoretical literature suggests a PPS could lead to moral hazard effects, where hospitals have an incentive...

The overall objective of the paper is to model and econometrically analyze the impact of access costs (travel time to hospital) and quality of health care on the utilization of elective health services in public hospitals. We argue that patients might face a trade-off between better perceived...

The International Obesity Taskforce calls obesity one of the most important medical and public health problems of our time. An estimated 1 billion people around the world are over weight, of whom around 300 million are clinically obese. Estimates suggest that obesity levels will continue to rise...

This article investigates factors affecting the participation in marijuana, cocaine and heroin using micro-unit data from an Australian national survey on recreational drugs. Accounting for cross-drug correlation potentially induced by unobserved personal characteristics such as individual...

This paper examines Australians participation in beer, wine and spirits consumption using a trivariate probit model and unit-record data from the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys. It estimates the effects of social, economic and demographic factors on an individuals decisions of alcohol...

This paper examines the effects of socioeconomic and demographic factors on Australian individuals' participation in beer, wine and spirits consumption using unit-record data during 1991-2001. A trivariate probit formulation allows for participation in the three alcoholic beverages to be...

The adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption are well-known. Of great concern to policy makers is to understand the potentially different drivers for consumers of different levels of alcohol consumption. Using unit record data from the Australian Drug Strategy Household Surveys, this...