HA604 - Healthcare Economics and Policy

Healthcare spending in the U.S. is consistently larger per capita and as a portion of the gross domestic product (GDP) than other developed countries. The capability to think critically regarding health policy is a must for healthcare administrators. Economics continues to be used as a means for analyzing health policy questions and providing support for new policy formulation. This course will cover the following topics: relevance of studying health economics; provide an overview of the healthcare delivery and financing systems; the approaches for describing, evaluating, and managing risk; understanding costs; bending the cost curve; demand for health products; elasticity; forecasting; supply and demand; profit maximization; pricing; asymmetrical information and incentives; economic analysis of clinical and managerial interventions; profits, market share, and market power; government interventions in healthcare markets; policy and regulation; and behavioral economics.
Prerequisite(s): HA518 normally taken prior to this course; however, the MHA Director may make an exception.
Fulfills: 4+1
Credits: 3