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. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to identify different types of health care providers and understand the dynamic between the providers and patient so you can employ best practices and maximize profit for your health care organization.
This course is part of the The Business of Health Care Specialization
The Economics of Health Care Delivery
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
11 hour to complete
Module 1
This module was designed to give you a deeper understanding of the history and structure of the American health care system. You’ll begin by examining the history of health care providers and improvements in health care technology throughout the years. Then you’ll look at the different evolutions of insurance throughout history, the purpose of health insurance, and the inherent issues and solutions within the concept of insurance. You’ll learn key aspects of Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs that increase access to health care. Then, you’ll evaluate the Iron Triangle of Health Care—quality, cost, and access—and the main areas of focus and tension for health care policy. By the end of this module, you’ll have a richer understanding of the growth of health care providers, insurance, and government programs and their impact on health care access.
9 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
9 videos
History: Health Insurance5m
History: Government Programs3m
Introduction to Health Insurance5m
The Structure of Health Insurance5m
Medicare5m
Medicaid and Other Government Programs4m
The Iron Triangle of Health Care9m
Alternative Payment Models8m
1 reading
PDFs of Module 1 Slides10m
1 practice exercise
Module 1 Quiz20m
Week
21 hour to complete
Module 2
In this module, you’ll be introduced to the concept of insurance, and focus more closely on the structure and components of insurance. You’ll also learn what determines the size of an insurance premium and why people demand health insurance. Through analyzing the problem of moral hazard and asymmetric information, you’ll accurately measure the impact of cost-sharing arrangements, such as deductibles and copays. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to identify why people are willing to pay insurance, how companies quantify how much people are willing to pay for insurance, and effectively discover solutions to both asymmetric information and adverse selection.
6 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
Risk Aversion10m
Moral Hazard10m
Cost Sharing8m
The Price of Insurance9m
Adverse Selection8m
1 reading
PDFs of Module 2 Slides10m
1 practice exercise
Module 2 Quiz20m
Week
31 hour to complete
Module 3
In this module, you’ll examine the role of the physicians and hospitals in the health care ecosystem. You’ll explore the different types and payment methods for both physicians and hospitals, and how hospitals utilize these methods to maximize profit. Through analyzing the Health Care Value Chain and Principal-Agent Problem from Economics, you’ll be able to establish the unique importance of physicians in the health care markets as a perfect agent, and the different approaches and implications of this relationship. You’ll also gain a general overview of the characteristics that define hospitals, the effects of different trends on the decline in number of beds in hospitals, and two common hospital practices to address this issue: cost shifting and cross subsidization. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to better understand the role of physicians and hospitals in health care markets and employ best practices and maximize profit for your health care organization.
8 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
Physicians and Nurses6m
Other Providers and Regulators3m
Physician Agency9m
Introduction to Hospitals: Part 16m
Introduction to Hospitals: Part 26m
Cost Shifting9m
Cross Subsidization9m
1 reading
PDFs of Module 3 Slides10m
1 practice exercise
Module 3 Quiz20m
Week
41 hour to complete
Module 4
In this module, you’ll explore a range of other health care providers outside of physicians and hospitals. Through the examination of different examples of post-acute care such as hospices, you’ll develop a better understanding of the shift toward holistic care and support in post-acute care providers. You’ll also discover the benefits of vertical integration, and how you can better allocate resources and offer competitive pricing. Finally, you’ll be introduced to the methods of government intervention in health care and learn more about various antitrust legislations such as the Sherman Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, and Federal Trade Commission Act. By the end of this module, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the health care ecosystem, and how various providers of health care affect each other within that system.
5 videos (Total 40 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
5 videos
Hospice Care7m
Vertical Integration7m
Introduction to Regulation8m
Introduction to Antitrust8m
1 reading
PDF of Module 4 Slides10m
1 practice exercise
Module 4 Quiz20m
4.7
10 Reviews50%
started a new career after completing these courses
25%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
Very interesting introduction to the market and governmental forces behind our healthcare system. I enjoyed that the instructor has direct research experience on this topic and spoke candidly.
Instructors
Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD
Diane v.S. Levy and Robert M. Levy University ProfessorDepartment of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Guy David, PhD
Gilbert and Shelley Harrison Associate Professor of Health Care ManagementDepartment of Health Care Management
About University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.
About the The Business of Health Care Specialization
This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system, along with the basic financial and management skills to make better, well-informed decisions that improve the cost and quality of the health care you or your enterprise provides.
*The employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 17% from 2014 to 2024, significantly faster than the average for all occupations.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. “Occupational Outlook handbook 2016-17 Edition. Medical and Health Services Managers.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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