Dr Matthew Skellern OLD.2.27

This course is available on the MSc Health Policy, Planning and Financing, MSc in Health, Population and Society, MSc in International Health Policy, MSc in International Health Policy (Health Economics) and MSc in Social Policy (Research). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

In allocating places in this course, students enrolled in the MSc in International Health Policy and MSc in International Health Policy (Health Economics) have priority. Any remaining places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

This course develops basic economic concepts as they are applied to the health sector, and provides for specialisation in health economics. Nature of health care as an economic commodity. How markets and insurance markets work, and how they can fail for health care and health care insurance. The economics of paying providers and different approaches taken by governments in different countries. Incentive mechanisms and Diagnostic Related Group payment schemes and yardstick competition. Labour markets in health care. Economic evaluation as a regulatory tool.

15 hours of lectures and 18 hours of seminars in the MT.

Optional evening review classes in first half of MT.

Revision session in the ST.

In-class progress test in the MT.

The course draws from a variety of textbooks and articles. A thorough reading list is provided at the start of term. The course makes repeated use of the following textbooks:

S Folland, A C Goodman & M Stano, The Economics of Health and Health Care (7th edn), Prentice Hall, 2012.

J Bhattacharya, T Hyde & P Tu, Health Economics, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

J Gruber, Public Finance and Public Policy (5th edn), Macmillan, 2016.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.