Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations (2002) / Chapter Skim
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6 Using, Presenting, and Reviewing Health Benefits Analyses
6 Using, Presenting, and Reviewing Health Benefits Analyses
Pages 153-165
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From page 153... ...
The results of health benefits analyses are often used in cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analyses of air pollution regulations. Although the philosophical foundations of cost-benef~t analysis and especially the economic valuation of benefits remain controversial, it is important to discuss the implications of cost-benefit analysis for conducting a health benefits analysis.
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From page 154... ...
The VSL includes the lost income associated with dying prematurely but does not reflect the medical costs that might precede death. These costs are assumed to be included in the value of morbidity.
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2002~. To allow for the possibility that the VSL varies with age, estimates of statistical lives saved by air pollution control programs should be presented by the age of the beneficiaries.
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From page 156... ...
To illustrate, suppose that an air pollution regulation prevents a person from contracting chronic bronchitis at age 40 and living with the The World Health Organization, World Bank, and a number of other international and national agencies commonly use the disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) , a type of QALY, for health comparisons (World Bank 1993; Murray and Lopez 1996~.
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From page 157... ...
COMPATIBILITY OF HEALTH BENEFITS ANALYSES WITH COST ANALYSES In estimating health benefits, assumptions must be made about the size ofthe population exposed to air pollution for each year ofthe analysis and about the baseline incidence of each health outcome evaluated. Assumptions must also be made about remaining life expectancy when a VSLY or a QALY approach is used.
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From page 158... ...
For example, for the heavy-duty engine and dieselfuel rule, EPA uses fourpages oftext to describe Voronoi neighbor averaging to interpolate ambient air pollution concentrations at the mid-point of each spatial grid used in the atmospheric model (EPA 2000~. The method of interpolation is a technical issue that is unlikely to be a key determinant of the ultimate prediction of air quality.
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From page 159... ...
baseline Report as population- Coefficient of Conditions without weighted annual av- concentration-re regulation, including erages sponse function other regulations in Compare baseline air Number of avoided place and assump- quality to historical cases tions about the econ- trends omy and population. Present pollution For avoided mortality changes associated and chronic morbidity, Highlight any assump- with the regulation in information indicated lions that have a sub- absolute and in per- above should be pre stantial impact on the centage terms sensed by age at onset results of the analysis and remaining life ex pectancy analysis.
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From page 160... ...
Avoided cases of mortality and chronic morbidity, such as chronic bronchitis, should be broken down by age group with estimates of average remaining life expectancy presented for each age group. The benefits may also need to be presented by various demographic or other subgroups when the expected changes in pollution and thus the health benefits are not uniformly distributed across the population.
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From page 161... ...
The information shown below should be provided in the summary. ~ Unit values used to monetize health outcomes should be listed in a table with the year in which dollar estimates apply (see EPA 1999, Table 6-1~.
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I Health Outcomes Quantified l Pollutants X Y Outcome Basis for Ouantifying Valuation Premature Pope et al.
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From page 163... ...
· The study uses models and data comparable to those in similar The issues of quality control that are specific to a particular study include the regulatory options that are considered relevant, the appropriate time period for the analysis, and the assumptions regarding compliance and the regulatory baseline. Clearly, peer review of these aspects of the study would be most useful at the beginning of the study.
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From page 164... ...
This information would aid decision-makers in situations in which equity issues might be involved. · To enhance the quality of future regulatory benefits analyses, a standing, independent, technical review panel should advise EPA in the initial stages of its benefits analysis.
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From page 165... ...
Environmental Protection Agency. Cincinnati, OH: National Service Center for Environmental Publications.
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