What is the difference? Evidence on the distribution of wealth, health, life expectancy, and health insurance coverage^†

There is a literature of long standing that considers the relationship between income and differentials in mortality and morbidity, but information on differentials over the distribution of accumulated wealth have been far more scarce and subject to measurement problems. This paper provides evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances, which is designed as a survey of wealth, on the distribution of wealth and income and how those distributions have shifted in recent years. Particular attention is paid to the distribution of wealth across minority groups and across age groups. The paper also examines the relationship between wealth and health status, life expectancy, and health insurance coverage. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.