San Diego State University - California State University

San Diego State University
Graduate School of Public Health
Division of Health Management and Policy
PH 645: Health Economics
Spring 2013
Class Day and Time: Monday 4-6:40PM
Class Location:
HT-22
Schedule #:
22221
Instructor:
Office Location:
Office Hours:
Office Phone:
E-mail:
Robert L. Seidman, PhD
Hardy Tower (HT) 4
Mon. 1:30-3:30PM or by appt.
619-594-8940
[email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an overview of health economics and explores different economic issues related to the
U.S. health system and health management and policy. Topics include measurement of health inflation,
economic evaluation, demand for medical care and health insurance, productivity, the markets for hospitals,
physicians, and other health personnel, government regulation, different health care markets, and health
reform. Selected topics in microeconomic theory will also be addressed.
COURSE COMPETENCIES AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The Graduate Program in Health Management and Policy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). A list of all Program competencies is provided on the
GSPH website (http://publichealth.sdsu.edu/miscfiles/hmp-cahme-competencies.pdf). The course learning
objectives, program competencies, and examples of specific content for each competency are shown below.
Course Learning Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Utilize standard microeconomic concepts and tools to understand the operation
of health care markets, including the limitations of economic theory.
Discuss unusual economic characteristics and institutional features of the
health care sector, and describe how they affect the utilization and financing of
health care.
Explain the operation and interaction of the health care and health insurance
industries, including regulatory and other noncompetitive elements.
Determine factors that influence the distribution, choice of practice mode, and
productivity of physicians and allied health manpower.
Identify factors that influence the utilization and cost of hospital care and other
health care services.
HMP Program
Competencies
A1, A7, B6, B9,
B10
A1, A2, A7, A8,
B8, B10
A1, A2, A6, A8,
B8, B9
A1, A6, A7, B8,
B10
A1, A2, A6, A7,
A8, B6, B8, B10,
C8
PH 645
Spring 2013
Course Learning Objectives
6.
Analyze the economic effects of regulation and competition, and be able to
assess and explain the strengths and weaknesses of regulatory and competitive
policies designed to restrain inflation and reallocate resources within this
sector.
7. Compare economic incentives for hospital performance underlying different
prospective and retrospective reimbursement methods.
8. Summarize the issues and methods related to cost-benefit and costeffectiveness analyses, identify the most appropriate approach, and apply these
evaluation techniques to health programs.
9. Define the major issues involving use of price indices to measure inflation, and
utilize current data to quantify changes in inflation using these indices.
10. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a group setting and contribute
meaningfully to group projects, written reports, and oral presentations.
11. Evaluate alternative economic scenarios and articulate the advantages and
disadvantages of each.
12. Compare alternative proposals and approaches to reform the health care
delivery and financing system, and determine the economic effects of each.
Page 2
HMP Program
Competencies
A1, A7, A8, B8,
B9, B10, C8
A2, A6, A7, B8,
B10, C8
A7, B6, B10, D1
A2, B7, D1
B6, D1
A1, A7, A8, B9,
B10
A1, A6, A7, B9,
B10
Examples of Knowledge and Skills for HMP Program Competencies
CAHME Competency A1:
Discuss health care organizations and their relationship to access, quality, cost, accountability, and the health
of patients and the community.
 Describe how health insurance influences consumer demand, access to care, provider behavior, and
health costs.
 Describe the key features of governmental programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, and how they
influence access to care, utilization of services, provider performance, and health outcomes.
 Articulate key economic and other characteristics of hospitals, physician groups, and other providers, and
explain how these characteristics influence their behavior.
 Discuss how current and historical regulation of the health care sector has influenced costs and health
outcomes.
CAHME Competency A2:
Describe trends in health care expenditures and their causes and consequences on health and health care
organizations.
 Describe changes in the share of GDP devoted to health over time.
 Identify key trends in health expenditures and utilization in the U.S., and provide possible explanations
for why they occurred.
 Describe how and why sources of private and public funding for health care have changed both overall
and for specific types of medical services.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 3
CAHME Competency A6:
Identify revenue sources and reimbursement methods in the U.S. health care system, including historical
origins and current policy, and their impact on health service delivery
 Identify key economic and other characteristics of different reimbursement methods used to pay
hospitals, physicians, and other providers.
 Describe how incentives in different reimbursement systems affect provider behavior and outcomes of
health organizations.
CAHME Competency A7:
Compare and contrast characteristics of different health care delivery models and evaluate their effectiveness
in the current health environment.
 Identify different forms of managed care organizations, economic incentives facing both consumers and
providers, and how these incentives influence behavior and health outcomes.
 Describe the difference between horizontal and vertical integration as alternative ways in which health
systems expand.
 Discuss changes in U.S. health policy during the past century, and how these policies have influenced
provider behavior, access to care, health outcomes, and performance of health organizations and markets.
CAHME Competency A8:
Relate health disparities, lack of insurance, and changes due to health care reform to the challenges posed by
delivering health care services to diverse populations.
 Describe current health disparities in the U.S., and identify specific types of underserved and vulnerable
populations in which disparities are often observed.
 Discuss the different causes of health disparities, with a focus on economic and social determinants of
health.
 Explain the management challenges faced by health organizations in delivering services to diverse
populations, and steps they may take to overcome these challenges.
 Describe characteristics of the uninsured population in both the U.S. and California, and discuss the
challenges and strategies of health organizations in providing services to the uninsured.
CAHME Competency B6:
Translate health data into relevant information for appropriate audiences using statistical software for data
management, analysis, and reporting results.
 Use data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to calculate inflation rates overall and for different
sectors, including medical care services, and use these estimates to calculate inflation-adjusted health
expenditures.
 Assess productivity and efficiency of health providers and firms based on existing data.
 Identify data that must be collected to perform economic evaluations of policies or clinical decisions
using cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis, and explain how the analysis would be performed.
 Describe how data on different health care markets and the demand for services may be used by
organizations to optimize their performance.
 Present results from cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis appropriately to different audiences.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 4
CAHME Competency B8:
Understand and calculate different reimbursement formulas and strategies for cost containment and revenue
enhancement used by the government and health services organizations.
 Discuss the key characteristics of different components of Medicare.
 Compare characteristics of fee-for-service, salary, and capitation as alternative reimbursement methods,
identify how providers are paid under each, and indicate different financial and other incentives they
present.
 Describe payment methods for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and discuss the
different economic incentives for volume, quality, and setting in which these services are delivered.
 Identify alternative methods used by managed care organizations to control costs, and describe the
evidence on whether each has been successful.
CAHME Competency B9:
Compare alternatives for health care transformation and reform at the state, national, and international levels,
and assess their potential impacts on health care organizations.
 Identify key elements of health reform in the U.S., including when each will become effective.
 Describe the economic criteria by which health reform may be evaluated.
 Discuss how hospitals and other provider organizations are likely to be affected by health reform, and
what strategic directions they should take to maximize their organization’s performance.
CAHME Competency B10:
Understand and articulate economic models, concepts and tools necessary to engage in effective policy
analysis, formulation, evaluation, and advocacy.
 Define key economic terms used to analyze the health sector and assess performance of key decision
makers.
 Identify economic characteristics of medical care and the health sector that contradict traditional
assumptions in economic models.
 Explain why characteristics of hospitals, physicians, and other providers makes it difficult to use
economic models to predict behavior and market outcomes.
 Discuss key economic characteristics of hospitals and physicians, and indicate how they influence
decisions made by these providers.
 Describe the characteristics of different markets in which hospitals, physicians, and other providers
operate, and how these market characteristics affect their operation.
 Discuss theoretically and empirically how changes in insurance affects consumer’s demand for medical
care.
PH 645
Spring 2013







Page 5
Define different concepts of efficiency that apply to health organizations, and describe how each may be
measured.
Identify key factors influencing diffusion and adoption of medical technology.
Describe the competitive labor market model, and discuss whether this applies to the markets for
physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals.
Describe the empirical evidence underlying small area analysis and supplier-induced demand, and
develop policies to improve market outcomes.
Apply the health production approach to identify the most efficient use of resources to improve health.
Use economic evaluation techniques to evaluate completed or proposed health programs and policies.
Describe the empirical evidence underlying small area analysis and supplier-induced demand, and
develop policies to improve market outcomes.
CAHME Competency C8:
Understand the importance of compliance for health organizations related to data privacy, confidentiality,
data security, coding, billing, and government regulations.
 Describe the evolution of government regulation of health care organizations, and how it has influenced
decisions by health care organizations and market outcomes.
 Discuss the costs to organizations of complying with governmental regulations.
CAHME Competency C10:
Demonstrate awareness of how different cultural beliefs, practices, and needs presented by patients and their
communities influence health care management and service delivery.
 Discuss how expanding eligibility of public programs is expected to influence enrollment, costs,
organizational management decisions, and patient health outcomes.
 Identify key determinants of the demand for medical services by different populations, and explain how
this affects the ability to manage health organizations.
CAHME Competency D1:
Identify and use appropriate oral and written communication strategies for different audiences, such as line
staff, executives, board members, policy makers, the general public, and other key stakeholders.
 Work in small groups to identify evaluate policy challenges and develop innovative proposals to address
these challenges.
 Develop and deliver orally a presentation focusing on economic issues of a specific health policy
challenge.
 Address key economic issues in health by writing a succinct “Economics Brief” addressing selected
issues.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 6
REQUIRED READINGS
Required readings for this course will come from a number of different sources, including the following
texts:

Sherman Folland, Allen C. Goodman, and Miron Stano. The Economics of Health and Health Care,
6th ed., Prentice Hall, 2010.

Lanis L. Hicks, Economics of Health and Medical Care, 6th ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2014.

Robert H. Lee. Economics for Healthcare Managers, 2nd ed., Health Administration Press, 2009.

Diane M. Dewar. Essentials of Health Economics, Jones and Bartlett, 2010.
A number of additional readings, including many on basic microeconomic theory, may be included and
posted on BlackBoard throughout the semester,. Online tutorials covering selected topics in microeconomic
theory will also be available through BlackBoard.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING POLICY
The grade for this course will be determined based on performance on the following graded assignments and
class activities.
Assignment or Activity
Weight
Exam #1 (3/11/13)
Exam #2 (5/13/13)
Economic Issues Paper #1 (available 2/18/13; due 2/25/13)
Economic Issues Paper #2 (available 4/8/13; due 4/15/13)
Individual Journal Article Summary (due 3/25/13; presentations over several
weeks beginning 3/25/13)
Group Project and Presentation (in-class presentations 5/6/13)
TOTAL
27.5%
27.5%
10%
10%
10%
15%
100%
Grading Policy
The final grade for this course will be assigned based on the percent of total points, as follows:
A: 93-100%
A-: 90 – 92.9%
B+: 87 – 89.9%
B: 83 – 86.9%
B-: 80 – 82.9%
C+: 77 – 79.9%
C: 73 – 76.9%
C-: 70 – 72.9%
D: 60 – 69.9%
F: < 60%
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 7
Exams
There will be two exams. Each midterm exam will cover required readings and material presented since the
previous exam through the class just prior to the exam (content from the microeconomics tutorials will be
included on the exam but will be given slightly less weight than material covered in class and the readings).
The second exam will be given during Final Exam week, although it will not be comprehensive.
All exams will consist of short answer questions. There will also be a number of multiple choice questions,
particularly related to the microeconomics tutorials. Adequate space will be provided for answers to all
questions, so you need not bring blue books. You should bring a calculator to each exam in case there are
questions involving calculations.
Makeup Exams
No makeup exams will be offered during the semester. If you are unable to take either of the two exams, you
should plan on taking a comprehensive exam that will be offered immediately following Exam #2. The
score on this comprehensive exam will then replace the exam you missed.
Economic Issues Papers
These assignments will involve a short response that addresses a specific economic issue related to the health
sector. Each assignment will be available on BlackBoard on the dates shown on the previous page as well as
in the Course Schedule below.
Individual Journal Article Summary and Presentation
This assignment involves selecting an appropriate article on some aspect of health economics or health
services research, reading it carefully, preparing a short summary and critique as well as a very short
PowerPoint presentation outlining the most important points and conclusions in the article, and presenting
your summary and critique during class.
You will have no more than two minutes to present your article in class. Your PowerPoint presentation
should consist of no more than four slides. It will be quite challenging to summarize your article adequately
in just two minutes, so be concise and practice your presentation beforehand. You should email your
PowerPoint file to the instructor no less than two hours prior to the beginning of class on the day of your
presentation. The date of your in-class presentation will be announced by 2/25/13.
Please see the following recommendations for completing the journal article summary.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 8
Search for an article published in the past five years (to ensure that it is timely). Only one student will be
allowed to report on any article. When you have identified an article that interests you, make a copy and
show the instructor (or send a pdf by email) so he may approve and record it. The following journals are
recommended:
American Journal of Public Health
Health Services Research
New England Journal of Medicine
Inquiry
Journal of American Medical Association
Medical Care
Health Affairs
Medicare and Medicaid Research Review
There may be a few other journals that contain suitable articles, so feel free to send other articles to the
instructor for review. You may wish to browse through some issues to discover a topic that interests you.
However, please remember to have it approved and recorded before you start reading and summarizing the
article. I want to verify that it contains sufficient economic content and is appropriate for this assignment.
Here are suggested focus areas you may want to consider for your written summary.
A.
What topic, questions, or issues does this article address? Provide some general background of why
this research is important and/or useful to economists, health researchers, healthcare managers, or
other health professionals.
B.
Describe briefly what data (if any) was used in the article. Was the description of the data and
methodology clear and appropriate given the research question(s) addressed? A brief discussion of
previous research, if relevant, might also be useful.
C.
Summarize the most important findings and conclusions of the article insofar as they address the
issue or topic studied. What are the implications of these results for health policy, access to or the
delivery of medical services, or costs to health organizations, individuals, society, etc.
D.
What should be changed as a result of these results and conclusions? What should not be changed?
You should aim to impart a basic understanding of the results presented in the article rather than
delving into minute detail.
E.
Provide a critique of the article (i.e., your own personal observations). Comment on whether you
think the approaches, methods, and data are appropriate. Are the results interpreted correctly? Did
the author(s) address most of the important questions, or were some important considerations
overlooked? Are there any related questions not addressed by the article, or perhaps issues that
require further investigation? Are there any interesting and useful extensions of the article?
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 9
Given the very restricted time allowed to present your article summary in class, please focus on only the key
points required to understand the issue addressed, what was found, and why it is important. You need not
include your personal critique during the oral presentation. Also, you should limit the words on PowerPoint
slides to key points rather than include full sentences or paragraphs.
Group Projects and Presentations
Groups of students will be formed by the instructor no later than the fifth class meeting. Each group will be
given a potential health policy, issue, situation, or question with economic implications. It is up to the group
to identify and conduct the appropriate research and to address the issue or question posed. The final class
meeting (5/6/13) will be devoted to group presentations. Each group should prepare a PowerPoint
presentation that outlines the issues of the problem they were assigned and summarizes their research
findings and recommendations. Each group member should contribute equally to both the preparation and
development of the position as well as the in-class presentation. Each group will have a limited time to
present their position – probably no more than 20 minutes. As a result, presentations must be focused and
concise. Groups are strongly encouraged to meet beforehand and practice the presentation to ensure that the
time constraint is met. Failure to stay within the prescribed time period for presentation will result in a
penalty on the assignment. Each group must also be prepared to answer questions from the instructor and
other students. As with the journal article presentation, please review your slides carefully to ensure that you
do not include full sentences.
Please note: Many of the assigned topics are intentionally broad. Moreover, no readings will be identified
and provided to serve as background on your topic. Your group is expected to identify whatever resources
are relevant and available to address the question or issue and prepare the class presentation. Be creative;
don’t just repeat what you have read about your issue or topic. Your background reading should inform you
and provide the appropriate context for you to address the issue.
A student from each group should email the following to the instructor no later than noon on 5/6/13.
1. the PowerPoint file that will be presented
2. an Executive Summary of the presentation (not to exceed 2 pages)
The order of group presentations will be selected randomly at the beginning of class.
Attendance
Class attendance each week is strongly encouraged. Attendance will be taken at varying times during each
class meeting. If you are not in attendance at the time names are called, you will be marked absent even if
you attended most of that class. If you arrive after names are called, do not come up and say that you arrived
late, regardless of the circumstances. Although attendance and class participation do not enter the formal
calculation of your grade as described above, your final grade will be lowered one full level if you are absent
more than three class meetings. Please do not email the instructor asking to be excused for an absence due
to illness or other reasons (with the exception of extreme personal or family emergencies; these do not
include personal illnesses, child care problems, transportation problems, job-related travel, etc.).
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 10
Additional Notes
No extra credit assignments will be offered for this course. The final grade will be based only on the graded
assignments and attendance, as shown in this syllabus. In addition, no study guides will be distributed for
any exam. You are expected to study and determine the relative importance of all material that is appropriate
for each exam.
Course Policies
1. All communication with students will be via email using BlackBoard. Please be sure that your email
address in BlackBoard is up-to-date and that you check frequently for new messages.
2. Please be sure to turn OFF your cell phone, Blackberry, or other electronic device before class begins,
and put it in your backpack, purse, pocket, etc.
3. If you would like to email the professor, including arranging an appointment, please put the following in
the subject line: PH645.
4. You may use a laptop in class if you wish, but only for the purpose of taking notes and only if your typing
does not disturb other students. The instructor reserves the right to revoke this privilege during the
semester.
5. PowerPoint slides or other material to be discussed in each class will be posted on BlackBoard no later
than midnight the evening before class or a copy for each student will be brought to class by the
instructor. The PowerPoint slides posted on BlackBoard may be a summary of those presented in class.
6. Every effort will be made to follow the syllabus content and schedule. However, if circumstances dictate,
there may be modifications necessary during the semester. If this occurs, the professor will make every
effort to notify students in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of students to check Blackboard for
announcements and to inquire about handouts if absent from class.
7. If it becomes necessary to cancel a class due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, an
announcement will be posted on BlackBoard no later than noon on the day of class, if possible. Students
should check the Blackboard course site for last-minute announcements and postings of material.
8. Please do not ask for any exam to be offered at a time other than that indicated in the course syllabus.
These will not be given early or late to accommodate students’ travel plans or for any other reason. If
you have an unavoidable conflict due to an important work commitment, you should discuss this with the
instructor at least three weeks prior to the exam.
9. Although questions are always encouraged at any time during or after class, please do not ask to go back
to a previous PowerPoint slide (except during a class break) as this will disrupt the presentation of
information.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 11
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Misconduct
Misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to: disrupting classes; giving or receiving
unauthorized aid on examinations, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any
academic work; falsifying research results; plagiarizing another’s work; violating regulations or ethical codes
for the treatment of human subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly. If an instance of academic misconduct
is suspected, the student will be informed of the infraction and the penalty to be imposed. If appropriate, the
matter will be referred to the Department Chair and Dean of the College for mediation.
It is vitally important that healthcare managers and administrators adhere to the highest code of conduct and
personal standard of ethical behavior. This same expectation extends to all graded assignments for this
course. With the exception of the group policy debate project, all assignments must be the student’s original
work. Violations of this policy may include a warning, an admonition, censure, reduction of grade (including an
F for the course), disciplinary probation, suspension, or even expulsion.
Statement on Nondiscrimination Policy
San Diego State University complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination. No person shall, on the
basis of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the California State University
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment
in, its programs and activities. Students should direct inquiries concerning San Diego State University’s
compliance with all relevant disability laws to the Director of Student Disability Services (SDS), Calpulli
Center, Room 3101, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92128 or call 619-594-6473 (TDD: 619594-2929).
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the educational programs or
activities it conducts. More detail on SDSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy can be found in the SDSU General
Catalog, University Policies.
Student Conduct and Grievances
SDSU is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty
and staff. Sections 41301, Standards for Student Conduct, and Sections 41302-41304 of the University
Policies regarding student conduct should be reviewed.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 12
If a student believes that a professor’s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor’s behavior is clearly
unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university authorities and official
reviewing bodies. See University policies on Student Grievances.
If a student believes that a professor’s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor’s behavior is clearly
unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university authorities and official
reviewing bodies. See University policies on Student Grievances.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty that are intended
to gain unfair academic advantage. See section 41301 of the University policies. Plagiarism is an important
element of this policy. Plagiarism is defined as ‘formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any
activity wherein one person knowingly, directly and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain resorts
to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s own’. Any work, in whole
or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based source without referencing the source is
considered plagiarism.
Religious Holidays
The University Policy File includes requirements governing absence for religious observances. By the end of
the third week of classes, students should notify the instructor of planned absences for religious observances.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodation
The University is committed to providing reasonable academic accommodation to students with disabilities.
The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities provides university academic support services and
specialized assistance to students with disabilities. Individuals with physical, perceptual, or learning
disabilities as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact Services for Students with
Disabilities for information regarding accommodations. Please notify your instructor in advance so that
reasonable efforts can be made to accommodate you. If you expect accommodation through the Act, you
must make a formal request through Services for Students with Disabilities.
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 13
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week
1
2
Dates
Topics
1/28/13 Overview of Key Concepts in
2/4/13 Health Economics
1. Introduction to health
economics
2. Economic terms and concepts
3. Unusual characteristics of the
health sector
4. Health expenditures
5. Inflation and price indices
Readings, Tutorials,
& Assignments
FGS: chapter 1; pages 372-373
Dewar: chapter 2
Lee: chapters 1 & 2
CAHME
Program
Competencies
A1, 2, A8, B6,
B10
Tutorial 1
3
2/11/13 Economic Evaluation of Health Dewar: chapter 14
FGS: chapter 4
Programs
1. Conceptual overview
2. Comparison of different
Tutorial 2
evaluation methods
3. Quality of life
4. Incremental CEA
5. Application to health programs
B6, B10, D1
4
5
2/18/13 Markets for Medical Care and
2/25/13 Health Insurance
1. Demand for medical care
2. Insurance markets and the
demand for health insurance
A1, A2, A7,
A8, B10, C10
Hicks: chapters 3, 4, & 10
2/18: distribute Economic
Issues assignment #1
2/25: Assignment #1 due
Tutorials 3 & 4
6
3/4/13
Theory of Production
Productivity and Efficiency in
Health Care
1. Measurement of output,
Productivity, and efficiency
2. Production of health
Hicks: chapter 5
FGS: chapter 5
Tutorials 5 & 6
A1, B6, B10
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 14
COURSE SCHEDULE (continued)
Week
Dates
Topics
7
3/11/13 EXAM #1
8
9
3/18/13 Economic theory: perfect
3/25/13 competition, monopoly, and
monopsony
Market for Physician services
1. Licensure & MD supply
2. Productivity
3. Geographic distribution and
medical education
10
4/1/13
Spring Break
4/8/13
Markets for Hospital Services
1. Economics of nonprofit firms
2. Internal organization and
theories of hospital behavior
3. Cost shifting and
uncompensated care
4. Cost functions and economics
of scale
Asymmetric information in
health care
1. small area variation and
supplier-induced demand
Readings, Tutorials,
& Assignments
Hicks: Chapters 8 and 9
FGS: pp. 322-340
CAHME
Program
Competencies
A1, A6, A8, B8,
B10, C10
Tutorial 7
3/25: Journal article due
FGS: pp. 190-192 and 197-201
Distribute Economic Issues
Assignment #2
Selected journal article
presentations
A1, A6, A7,
A8, B8, B10,
C8
PH 645
Spring 2013
Page 15
COURSE SCHEDULE (continued)
Week
11
12
Dates
Readings, Tutorials,
& Assignments
Topics
4/15/13 Government Regulation in
4/22/13 Health Care
1. Market failure and
government intervention
2. Hospital regulation: theory
and evidence
Managed Care
1. Economic issues and
empirical evidence
FGS: pp. 230-242, 244-248,
253-255
Hicks: chapters 7 & 17
CAHME
Program
Competencies
A1, A6, A7, B8,
B9, B10, C8,
C10
4/15: Assignment #2 due
Selected journal article
presentations
Physician and Hospital
Reimbursement
13
4/29/13 Economic Issues in Health
Reform
1. Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act
Hicks: chapter 16
A1, A6, A7,
A8, B8, B9,
B10
14
5/6/13
Group Presentations
A1, A7, B6, B9,
B10, D1
Finals
Student Group Presentations
5/13/13 EXAM #2
Economics Tutorials (available online on the BlackBoard course site)
Tutorial 1: Economic terms and resource scarcity
Tutorial 2: Demand, supply, and equilibrium
Tutorial 3: Elasticity
Tutorial 4: Consumer choice theory
Tutorial 5: Short-run production theory
Tutorial 6: Short-run cost theory
Tutorial 7: Profit maximization and perfect competition