Health Economics 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 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.

• Two minor assignments, due in week 4 and 11, 15% each (30% total)
• A one-hour mid-term in-class examination in Week 8 (20%)
• One major essay of 2500 words, due in the end of semester examination period (50%)

Gans, King, and Mankiw, most recent edition, Principles of Microeconomics, Cengage Learning

Students who plan to enrol in HE1 ONLY will need: Barbara Mcpake and Charles Normand, 2008 Health Economics – An international perspective, 2nd Edition, Routledge.
Students who plan to enrol in BOTH Health Economics 1 and 2 will need: Sherman Folland, Allen Goodman and Miron Stano, international edition (7th edition), 2013, The Economics of Health and Health Care, Pearson

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.