Health Care Economics

4 Credits

Analysis of health care markets, employing efficiency and equity criteria. Evaluation of current health care policies and their effects on cost, access and quality. Topics covered include the production of and demand for health and medical care; information asymmetrics between patients, doctors, and payers; health insurance coverage; the effects of managed care (including HMOs) on competition, efficiency, and quality; training and practice of physicians; hospitals; prescription drug pricing; government regulations; Medicare and Medicaid; health care reform.