Course Description

Prerequisite: None

This course provides the ability to apply economic reasoning to health care markets. Topics include organization of the hospital, payment systems, costs and charges, the market for physician services, cost-effectiveness analysis, outcomes research, and health care reform. Students gain the foundational skills necessary to plan, conduct, and interpret economic evaluations in healthcare. The course will introduce key economic concepts like supply and demand for health services, markets and competition in health care, and the effects of government regulation on both private and public health programs, such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) and Medicare. During the class lab, students will have an opportunity to plan and conduct economic evaluations of healthcare interventions, programs, and policies. Where appropriate, discussion will also include local and regional examples as well as current events regarding these topics and healthcare reform.

Format: Online