Main description:

Can we really use economic thinking to understand our health care system? Health Economics, now in its sixth edition, not only shows how this is done, but also provides the tools to analyze the economic behavior of patients and providers in health care markets.

Health Economics combines current economic theory, recent research, and up-to-date empirical studies into a comprehensive overview of the field. Key changes to this edition include:

additional discussion of the consequences of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), in light of current political changes;
an extensive discussion of quality measures;
more discussion of preventive services;
a new section on drug markets and regulation;
discussion of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs);
new references, problem sets, and an updated companion website with lecture slides.

Designed for use in upper-division undergraduate economics studies, the book is suitable for students and lecturers in health economics, microeconomics, public health policy and practice, and health and society. It is also accessible to professional students in programs such as public policy, public health, business, and law.

Contents:

CHAPTER 1 Why Health Economics?

CHAPTER 2 Utility and Health

CHAPTER 3 The Transformation of Medical Care to Health

CHAPTER 4 The Demand for Medical Care: Conceptual Framework

CHAPTER 5 Empirical Studies of Medical Care Demand and Applications

CHAPTER 6 The Physician and the Physician-Firm

CHAPTER 7 Physicians in the Marketplace

CHAPTER 8 The Hospital as a Supplier of Medical Care

CHAPTER 9 Hospitals in the Marketplace

CHAPTER IO The Demand for Health Insurance

CHAPTER 11 Health Insurance Supply and Managed Care

CHAPTER 12 Government Provision of Health Insurance

CHAPTER 13 Medical Malpractice

CHAPTER 14 Externalities in Health and Medical Care

CHAPTER 15 Managing the Market: Regulation, Quality Certification, and Technical Change

CHAPTER 16 Universal Insurance Issues and International Comparisons of Health Care Systems