Publisher's Synopsis
A PRACTICAL PRIMER TO THE DYNAMIC FIELD OF HEALTH ECONOMICS!
What is the value of life? What does it mean to trust a surgeon who profits in crises? Why does health care cost so much? Is insurance the solution to the high cost of health care, or is it part of the problem? Questions like these make health care economics one of the most fascinating field of study.
You don’t need a background in economics or a degree in mathematics to explore issues associated with allocating resources to medical care. With Thomas Getzen’s clearly written, down–to–earth approach to health economics, you can develop a thorough and practical understanding of the principles and concepts of how funds flow through the health care system.
Getzen, a leader in the field of health economics and current director if the International Health Economics Association, traces the economic rationale and development of medical care organizations, as well as the economic and political factors that have influenced them.
Highlights of the Second Edition:
- New cases in each chapter illustrate the practical uses of economic theory.
- New introductory material presents the principles of economics applied to health.
- Features updated statistics, new problem sets, and Web links.
- Covers the relationship of marketing to marginal cost.
- Addresses triple tier pricing for pharmaceuticals.
- Begins with a “flow of funds” approach to describing the incentives and organizational structure of the health care system.
- Clear coverage of demand explains why value and price often are not proportionate.
- Examines transactions among patients, physicians, and third parties to show how profits are made, costs are covered, contracts are written (or implied), and regulations are formed.
- Outlines the continuing evolution of managed care in the United States.
- Explores the dynamics of change within the health care system from a macroeconomics perspective.
