This paper examines costs in the nursing home industry, an issue of concern to Swiss policy makers because of the explosion of elderly care costs and the aging of the population. Moreover, the fact that Swiss nursing homes are managed by different forms of institutional organizations (private for-profit nursing homes, government nursing homes and nonprofit nursing homes) raises the issue of their...
|
In dieser Studie haben wir die Kostenstruktur der schweizerischen Regionalbahnen analysiert, um die Skalenerträge und Skalenineffizienz dieser Unternehmen zu messen. Das Modellspezifikation hat die Zerlegung des Konzeptes der Skalenerträge in drei Aspekte und damit die Identifizierung von ‚economies of density‘, economies of network size‘ und ‚economies of scale‘ ermöglicht. Wir...
|
In this paper we estimate an average-cost function for a panel of 45 Swiss electricity distribution utilities as a basis for yardstick regulation of the distribution-network access prices. Unlike the existing literature, we separate the electricity sales function of utilities from the network operation function. Several exogenous variables measuring the heterogeneity of the service areas were...
|
|
|
In Switzerland 60% of electricity is produced by hydropower plants. The construction and operation of these plants determine some negative environmental externalities, such as diminishing groundwater levels and spring flows, and a reduction in river flow, which can severely curtail recreational and fishing activities. This study concentrates on an ex-ante appraisal of the monetary benefits...
|
Switzerland is a federal State where policy decisions and implementation regarding long-term care regulation are by rights incumbent to the regional and local governments (Canton and Town Council). This situation is in part responsible for the large number of small nursing homes operating in Switzerland. Moreover, long-term care for the elderly is supplied by private for-profit nursing homes,...
|
|
|
The purpose of this study is to estimate a multivariate variable cost function in order to analyze the cost structure of a sample of Italian water distribution companies. The empirical results of this study could be used by the Italian Regulation Authority of this sector for two purposes: first, to improve the actual tariff regulation process, based on a benchmarking of variable costs, and...
|