Excerpt: This project will use the Health and Retirement Study to examine the health and economic status of those who collect Social Security early retirement benefits and will predict their behavioral reaction to an increase in the Early Entitlement Age or a change in the Full Retirement Age that reduces the value of the early retirement benefit. We would use a propensity score reweighting method to estimate who uses early retirement benefits as a safety net against deteriorating health and who might be induced to apply for disability benefits or retire without income replacement if the generosity or availability of early retirement benefits were reduced. [UM10-02]  MORE >>