A Comparison of Alternative Models for the Demand for Medical Care

This report evaluates alternative statistical models of the demand for medical care. The report discusses the estimation problems, the alternative models considered, and the choice of a final model. Chapter 2 briefly describes the design of the Health Insurance Study, which is the source of the data, and the sample. Chapter 3 provides a rationale for and description of each of the models considered, and Chap. 4 indicates the sensitivity of the empirical results to the estimation model. Chapter 5 compares the models empirically in terms of forecast bias and mean squared forecast error, using a split-sample technique. Chapter 6 summarizes the findings of this study.