Health care expenditures and life expectancy have both been rising in many countries, including in the Netherlands. However, it is unclear to what extent increased health care spending caused the increase in life expectancy. Researchers have tried a variety of methods and data sources to establish a causal link between health care spending and life expectancy. This Panel Paper by Pieter van Baal (EUR), Parida Obulqasim (EUR), Werner Brouwer (EUR), Wilma Nusselder (Erasmus MC) and Johan Mackenbach (Erasmus MC) reviews these methods and data sources in order to investigate whether there is a causal link or not.