Health Economics

Health Economics combines current economic theory, recent research, and health policy problems into a comprehensive overview of the field. This thorough update of a classic and widely used text follows author Charles E. Phelps' thirteen years of service as Provost of the University of Rochester. Accessible and intuitive, early chapters use recent empirical studies to develop essential methodological foundations. Later chapters build on these core concepts to focus on key policy areas, such as the structure and effects of Medicare reform, insurance plans, and new technologies in the health care community. This edition contains revised and updated data tables and contains information throughout the text on the latest changes that were made to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Charles E. Phelps is Provost Emeritus and Professor of Political Science and of Economics at the University of Rochester, USA

1. Why Health Economics? 2. Utility and Health 3. The Transformation of Medical Care to Health 4. The Demand for Medical Care: Conceptual Framework 5. Empirical Studies of Medical Care Demand and Applications 6. The Physician and the Physician-Firm 7. Physicians in the Marketplace 8. The Hospital as a Supplier of Medical Care 9. Hospitals in the Marketplace 10. The Demand for Health Insurance 11. Health Insurance Supply and Managed Care 12. Government Provision of Health Insurance 13. Medical Malpractice 14. Externalities in Health and Medical Care 15. Managing the Market: Regulation, Quality Certification, and Technical Change 16. Universal Insurance Issues and International Comparisons of Health Care Systems