Michel Grignon

Profile

I have worked as an economist for the agency in charge of family and welfare in France (1987-97), then as a senior researcher with IRDES, Institute for Health Economics in Paris (1997-2004). I’m currently associate professor with the Department of Health, Aging and Society and the Department of Economics at McMaster University.

My fields of interest are: the economics of ageing as it applies to health care, the economic analysis of equity in health and health care, and international comparisons of health care systems.

I use the tools of applied health economics to study the determinants and welfare consequences of patterns of health care utilization and health behaviours. I apply these tools to the study of equity and fairness in health care systems, the impact of ageing on medical progress, the impact of the business cycle on health, and the determinants of smoking.

I have received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Chaire Santé (France), the Ministère des Affaires Sociales (France), and the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères (France). I’m currently on the editorial board of the Revue d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (National Institute for Medical Research, Villejuif, France).

Research Projects

• Population aging and health care expenditures: This CIHR grant (Pilot Project Grants, 33481) is aimed at identifying, describing, and assessing the quality of datasets to be used in the analysis of changes over time and across institutional environments in the age profile of health care expenditures.
• Aging and sickness leaves: Using panel data in Canada, France and the United Kingdom, the objective is to evaluate the impact of labour market institutions on the link between age and absenteeism.
• Investigation of preferences and choices in health care financing and resources allocation in Canada using experimental economics: CIHR grant, NET, J. Hurley Principal Investigator.
• Equity in health care use and health policy: we measure equity on individual level data in different policy environments and interpret differences using a systematic body of knowledge on health care policies in these environments (economics and politicalscience). Dr. Grignon has published peer reviewed articles in economics and policy journals.

Selected Publications

Allin, S., Grignon, M., Le Grand J., Subjective Unmet Need and Utilization of Health Care services in Canada: What are the Equity Implications?, forthcoming Social Science and Medicine

Grignon, M., An empirical investigation of heterogeneity in time preferences and smoking behaviours, Journal of Socio-Economics, 38 (2009), 739-751

Grignon, M. Pourquoi les systèmes de santé sont ils organisés différemment? Revue Economique 2009(2) Vol 60: 545-558

Grignon, M. Le système de santé au Canada, Revue Française des Affaires Sociales 62(4) : October-December 2008 : 67-87

Jusot, F., Grignon, M., Dourgnon, P., 2008 “Access to psycho-social resources and health: exploratory findings from a survey of the French population”, Health Economics Policy and Law, 3: 365-391

Grignon, M., The role of education in health system performance, Economics of Education Review, 27(2008) 299-307

Grignon, M., Renaud, Th., Moral hazard, doctors, and absenteeism in France – preliminary analysis based on aggregate data, Revue d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, 55(2007): 243-251

Grignon, M., Perronnin, M., Lavis, J., Does free supplementary health insurance help the poor to access health care? Evidence from France, Health Economics, 17(2008): 203-219

Dormont, B., Grignon, M., Huber, H., Health Expenditure Growth: Reassessing the Threat of Ageing, Health Economics, 15: 947-963 (2006).

Grignon, M., Assurance Maladie : Financement collectif et régulation par le marché? (Health Insurance : Public financing and private management?) Revue d’Économie Financière, 76, November 2004, 55-67

Grignon, M., Pierrard, B., Les approches économiques du tabagisme (Economic models and smoking regulation policies), Medecine Sciences, 2004, 20 :809-814

Buchmueller, T., Couffinhal, A., Grignon, M. Perronnin, M., Access to physician services: does supplemental insurance matter? Evidence from France, Health Economics, July 2004, 13(7): 669-687.