Health Economics 1

This subject is not offered in 2014.

120 hours

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

This subject provides a comprehensive introduction to micro-economics. It is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of economics. It paves the way for students to apply micro-economic concepts to the analysis of contemporary issues in public health and health care. Topics to be studied include the following:

• Introduction to economics and micro-economics,
• Introduction to health economics,
• The demand for health and health care,
• The supply of health manpower and services: doctors and hospitals,
• The market of health care,
• Market failure and the role of government in health care,
• The Australian health care system analysed from an economic perspective,
• Australia’s Medicare system analysed from an economic perspective.

Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Describe the principles, concepts and theories underpinning health economics and their relevance to issues in health care policy (with a particular focus on public health),
• Describe health issues and health policies from an economic perspective,
• Appreciate and be familiar with economic theories and economic methods of analysis to the study of health issues and health policies.

Four minor assignments (2 pages each, with mathematical equations, approximately equivalent to 500 to 600 words) due in week 3, 5, 7, 9. 10% each (40%)
One essay of 3000 words due in examination period (60%)

Barbara Mcpake and Charles Normand, 2008 Health Economics – An international perspective, 2nd Edition, Routledge.

Students will have access to electronic copies of relevant readings on LMS.

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of this subject, students will have developed skills in:

• Critical thinking and analysis,
• Finding, evaluating and using relevant information,
• Written communication,
• Persuasion and argumentation.