Health Economics and Financing - Hardcover

Getzen, Thomas E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471772593 ISBN 13: 9780471772590

Publisher: Wiley, 2006

Synopsis

A primer for the economic analysis of medical markets, this book utilizes a flow of funds approach to investigate the sources and uses of financing as well as the incentives and organizational structure of the health care system. It then takes a wider macroeconomic perspective in order to explore the dynamics of change within the health care system, and to explicitly consider determinants of national health spending and the role of governments in public and private health.

About this title

From the Publisher:

This text is a primer for the economic analysis of medical markets and the production of health. It traces the economic rationale and development of the medical care organization. The first thirteen chapters use a "flow of funds" approach to describe the incentives and organizational structure of the health care system. Transactions between patients and physicians (and other) are examined to see how profits are made, costs covered, contracts written (or implied), and regulations formed. The continuing evolution of the system in the U.S. is the subject of two chapters on managed care. The last seven chapters take a wider macroeconomic perspective in order to explore the dynamics of change within the health care system, and to explicitly consider determinants of national health spending and the role of governments in public and private health.

From the Back Cover:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0471772593
• ISBN 13: 9780471772590
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 496