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Article: Experimental poverty measures: accounting for medical expenditures: alternate methods of measuring medical expenses affect the relative incidence of poverty, the depth of poverty experienced by the poor, and the number of people who are classified in extreme poverty. (Experimental Poverty Measures).
- Article from:
- Monthly Labor Review
- Article date:
- August 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The official measure of poverty in the United States has been in place since the 1960s and has served to inform many policy debates. However, over the years, debate has ensued concerning the level and extent of poverty estimates, as well as the methodology that should be used to measure poverty. One issue that has arisen is whether medical care is or should be accounted for in poverty measurement. Based on research, and recommendations by an expert panel, experimental measures of poverty have been developed that account for medical care costs as well as other dimensions. Accounting for health care costs considerably increases the number of people who appear to be ...