Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers Creation-Date: 2010-08-03 Number: 10-076/3 Author-Name: Guido Erreygers Author-Workplace-Name: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium Author-Name: Tom Van Ourti Author-Workplace-Name: Erasmus University Rotterdam, and NETSPAR Title: Measuring Socioeconomic Inequality in Health, Health Care and Health Financing by Means of Rank-Dependent Indices: A Recipe for Good Practice Abstract: This discussion paper led to a publication in 'Journal of Health Economics', 30(4), 685-94.

The tools to be used and other choices to be made when measuring socioeconomic inequalities with rank-dependent inequality indices have recently been debated in this journal. This paper adds to this debate by stressing the importance of the measurement scale, by providing formal proofs of several issues in the debate, and by lifting the curtain on the confusing debate between adherents of absolute versus relative health differences. We end this paper with a "matrix" that provides guidelines on the usefulness of several rank-dependent inequality indices under varying circumstances Classification-JEL: D63, I10 Keywords: Health inequality, Socioeconomic inequality, Concentration Index File-Url: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/10076.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Size: 269998 bytes Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20100076