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Item Restricted Gender bias in intra-household health expenditures(2017-06) Arceo, Louis Rodolfo C. ; Sandres, Robert Jr. M.Studies have consistently shown a gap between the economic valuation of men and women, through differentials in wage employment and education. In this paper, we attempt to explore whether there is evidence of gender bias in intrahousehold medical expenditures using individual-level data from the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey. By adopting the extended hurdle model used by Irving and Jingdon (2008), we separate the process of availing healthcare into decision stages. We also consider the Tobit and Heckman selection models to address censorship and sample selection issues. Despite higher average spending levels among women, we find a pro-male bias in seeking treatment and medical expenditures, consistent with the predictions of the investment motive hypothesis. Results also show that age, insurance coverage, wealth and being the household head have positive effects on medical spending, while years of education and household size produce a negative influence.