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...
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The purpose of this study is to analyse the cost structure of the Swiss Private Railways in order to assess economies of scale and density and the desirability of a merger policy in the regional railway sector. A translog cost function was estimated using panel data for a sample of 43 regional railways over the period 1990-1995. The results indicate the existence of economies of density for most...
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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...
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The purpose of this study is to analyse the cost structure of a sample of Italian refuse collection firms in order to assess economies of scale and density so to estimate economic rationality of competition in the refuse collection. A translog cost function was estimated using panel data for a sample of 12 firms of refuse collection operating at provincial level over the period 1992-1995. The...
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Switzerland is a federal State where policy decisions and implementation regarding regional hospital plans 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 hospitals that have been built in recent years. In Switzerland, in fact, approx. 70% of hospitals have a capacity of less than 135...
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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...
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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,...
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Switzerland (7.2 million inhabitants) is a federal State composed of 26 Cantons. Article 3 of the Federal Constitution grants large autonomy to the single cantons in the sectors which are not regulated directly by the constitution itself, among others the health and social care sector. The decision-making autonomy of the cantons in the field of health and social care for the elderly creates a...
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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...
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