MOOC: The Economics of Health Care Delivery
Course Description
In this course, you’ll learn about the key components of health care, and the economics behind their principles and pricing strategies. Professors Ezekiel Emanuel of Penn Medicine and Guy David of the Wharton School have designed this course to help you understand the complex structure of the health care system and health insurance. Through study and analysis of providers and insurance through an economic lens, you’ll learn how basic economic principles apply to both principles and payment methods. Part of the 4-course Business of Health Care Specialization from Penn Medicine and the Wharton School.
- Discuss the history of health care providers and health care technology.
- Explain the history, purpose, and inherent issues and solutions within health insurance.
- Describe the Iron Triangle of Health Care and the main areas of focus and tension for health care policy.
- Identify the structure and components of health insurance.
- Describe the impact of cost-sharing arrangements such as deductibles and copays.
- Differentiate between types and payment methods for both physicians and hospitals.
- Discuss the Health Care Value Chain and Principal-Agent Problem.
- Explain cost shifting and cross subsidization and its effects on the decline in number of beds.
- Identify different examples of post-acute care such as hospices.
- Explain the benefits of vertical integration, and how to better allocate resources and offer competitive pricing.
- Describe methods of government intervention in health care and discuss various antitrust legislations.
Brief introduction to insurance from Guy David.
Through videos, quizzes, and discussions, learners in this course will learn how identify different types of health care providers and understand the dynamic between the providers and patient, in order to employ best practices and maximize profit for their health care organization.