Courses Details

PUBHLTH425: The Price Of Health: Economics And Global Healthcare Models

• Undergraduate level
• Residential
• Fall term(s) for residential students;
• 3 credit hour(s) for residential students;
• Instructor(s):
• Prerequisites: None
• Advisory Prerequisites: STATS 250, PUBHLTH 200, and junior undergraduate standing or higher (or instructor approval) are recommended
• Description: Health and health care play a central role in the economic and political landscape of the United States. As populations age worldwide, most nations have experienced rapid growth in health care spending over recent decades. Health economics—a distinct field within economics—examines how societies allocate resources to promote health and deliver care. This course introduces the key principles of health economics with an emphasis on comparing the U.S. health care system to those of other developed nations. The United States maintains one of the most technologically advanced and costly health care systems in the world; however, despite high levels of spending, U.S. health outcomes—such as infant mortality, prevalence of chronic disease, and life expectancy—lag behind peer countries. Students will explore the economic forces that shape health and health care, analyze major health system models used internationally, and evaluate their respective strengths and limitations. Through discussions and structured debates, students will critically assess how different nations organize, finance, and deliver health care, and consider implications for public health policy and reform.
• Learning Objectives: Students taking this course are expected to: 1. Explain foundational concepts of health economics and apply them to analyze how health care resources are allocated and financed. 2. Compare and contrast major health care models in the U.S. and other developed nations, identifying their main features, strengths, and limitations. 3. Communicate - through frequent class discussions and organized debates – public health policies related to health system design, spending, and health outcomes.