Course Overview

Health Economics is an applied economics course that analyzes issues in health, medical care and health finance. The demand for health and medical care services and the economic behavior of health service providers and the operation of health insurance markets are analyzed with economic tools of analysis and perspectives. The role of the government sector in the provision, regulation and financing of health care services are addressed within the context of health sector policies both in developed and developing countries.

Learning Achievement

The course develops the skills of students to understand the issues, challenges, and policies in the health sector and how society approaches the issue both in developed and developing countries. As an applied course, it uses microeconomics tools of analysis to analyze issues in the health sector. By addressing health issues and policies in broader perspectives, the course prepares students to develop analytical skills that are important for critical assessment and understanding the issues in promoting health and health services to the public.

Competence

The course develops skill levels of students to understand and analyze health issues and methods of analysis using tools from economics. Students gain skill to apply analytical methods to the health sector and the choices and challenges society faces in making decisions related to health issues within a broader international perspective.

Course prerequisites

microeconomics, introduction to economics, and basic mathematical skills.

Grading Philosophy

Class participation: 30%; Assignments: 30%; Final Report: 40%.

Course schedule

Week 1: Introduction and Overview ( Health and Medical Care; The economics of health and medical care analysis; and the relevance of economic analysis for the health care).
Week 2, 3, and 4: The Demand for and the Supply of Health and Medical Care (Demand for Heath and Medical care; Supply of Health and Medical Care).
Week 5, 6: The Health Sector and Financing
Week 7: Health Insurance Systems
Week 8. Comparative Health Systems and Health Care Sector Reforms
Week 9: Government Health Sector Policy
Week 10: Course Overview and Summary

Course type

Lectures

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Moges Abu Girma

Other information

Active participation in class discussion as well as review of the assigned articles for the course are required and expected from each student.

Site for Inquiry

Link to the syllabus provided by the university