Graduation Year

2017

Date of Submission

12-2016

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Reader 1

David Bjerk

Rights Information

© 2016 Natalie Green

Abstract

The recent advancements in healthcare is extending the lives of older people. However, such advancements come at a cost: higher medical expenses with less financial resources and limited, if not truncated, monetary assistance. The dilemma is further compounded by the unreliable quality of life produced by extending life of the chronically ill. Using the RAND data, I examine three financial transaction outcomes at different points-in-time in context of the onset of a health issue: one, the probability of a transaction occurring, two, how much is given, and three, the frequency of transactions. I also examine how a health issue impacts financial transaction choices within a given year, a year after the health issue occurs, and the longer term impacts on subsequent intergenerational financial transactions. I find no change in financial behavior of an adult child immediately after the health issue occurs and minimal over the longer period of time. However, this study does show a slight and statistically significant shift in financial transactions within the first year after a health issue occurs. Additionally, the results suggest that those who can live in assisted care and near respondent children have higher transactions between family members.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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