Differential Mortality and Retirement Benefits in the Health and Retirement Study

28 Pages Posted: 25 May 2014

See all articles by Barry Bosworth

Barry Bosworth

Brookings Institution - Economic Studies Program

Kathleen Burke

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Date Written: May 2014

Abstract

This analysis uses data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the sources of variation in mortality for individuals of varying socioeconomic status. The use of the HRS allows a distinction between education and a measure of career earnings as primary determinants of socioeconomic status for men and women separately. We use those predictions of mortality to estimate the distribution of annual and lifetime Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits for different birth cohorts spanning the birth years from 1900 to 1950. We find differential rates of mortality have had substantial effects in altering the distribution of lifetime benefits in favor of higher income individuals.

Keywords: morality, Health and Retirement Study, benefits, retirement

Suggested Citation

Bosworth, Barry and Burke, Kathleen, Differential Mortality and Retirement Benefits in the Health and Retirement Study (May 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2440826 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2440826

Barry Bosworth (Contact Author)

Brookings Institution - Economic Studies Program ( email )

1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
202-797-6000 (Phone)
202-797-6181 (Fax)

Kathleen Burke

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

United States

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