Health Care Economics
Taught by Harvard Medical School faculty, Health Care Economics, a Harvard Online course, provides insights into the interactions between industries in the US health care sector and teaches what economic forces are shaping health care.
Brought to you by:
What You'll Learn
The course will be delivered via HBS Online’s course platform and immerse learners in real-world examples from experts at industry-leading organizations. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Articulate the drivers of spending and spending growth in health care and evaluate how your organization’s strategy and decision-making processes impact total spending and value
- Describe approaches to getting the incentives right for both providers and patients and evaluate the impacts of changes to these incentives
- Understand risk and pooling as they relate to insurance markets and health benefit design
- Define the role of employers, insurers, and government in influencing the economics of health care markets, such as spending, access to care, and stability of insurance markets
- Explain how technology and patients’ and providers’ decisions contribute to high spending and spending growth, and how they impact their own organizations.
About the Professor
Michael Chernew, PhD, is the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chernew’s research examines several areas related to improving the health care system, including studies of novel benefit designs, Medicare Advantage, alternative payment models, low-value care, and the causes and consequences of rising health care spending. Dr. Chernew is currently serving as Chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), where he previously served as the Vice Chair and as a Member. In 2000, 2004, and 2010, he served on technical advisory panels for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that reviewed the assumptions used by Medicare actuaries to assess the financial status of Medicare trust funds. He's a member of the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Health Advisors and Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Health Connector Board. Dr. Chernew is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at MITRE. He's currently a co-editor of the American Journal of Managed Care and on advisory boards for several private companies in the health care space, including Virta Health, Archway, and HEALTH[at]SCALE.
Who Will Benefit
Rising Leaders
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the health care landscape, including the key drivers of rising health care spending.
Administrators and Policy Makers
Gain insights into strategic decisions around new business initiatives, health benefit plans, reimbursement contract negotiations, and care delivery models.
Providers
Understand the financial impacts of new technologies and services and how to create value-based care for patients.
Program Structure
Health Care Economics consists of approximately 18 hours of material delivered over a six-week period. You can complete the coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines.
- Length: 6 Weeks
- Program Dates: 5/12/21 – 6/23/21
- Cost: $1,600
- Application Deadline: May 3
- Detailed Calendar
- Length: 6 Weeks
- Program Dates: 7/28/21 – 9/8/21
- Cost: $1,600
- Application Deadline: July 19
- Detailed Calendar
Syllabus
Even for those within the health care industry, the economics of the United States health care system are stunningly complex and can be challenging to navigate. In Health Care Economics, gain insights into the interactions between industries in the health care sector and learn what economic forces are shaping health care. You'll cover core topics, such as moral hazard and adverse selection, and examine how these forces, as well as the actions of patients, providers, and other key stakeholders, shape outcomes in the health care market. This course will examine health care spending growth, considering new technologies and other drivers of growth through an economic lens, and explore the theoretical framework behind controlling health care spending growth through changes to benefit design and payment reform.
Health Care Economics features real-world examples, interactive lessons, and conversations with industry experts. This course allows you to better understand core economic principles as you learn to create more compelling programs, develop more effective growth strategies, negotiate better reimbursement contracts and partnerships, and advocate more effectively both inside and outside your organization.
Learning requirements: In order to earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online, participants must thoughtfully complete all 6 modules by stated deadlines.
Modules | Big Questions | Key Topics | Key Exercises |
---|---|---|---|
Module 1: Spending Growth |
|
|
|
Module 2: The Role of the Patient |
|
|
|
Module 3: The Role of the Provider and Health Care Production |
|
|
|
Module 4: Risk and Insurance |
|
|
|
Module 5: Benefit Design |
|
|
|
Module 6: Payment Reform |
|
|
|
The HBS Online Advantage
- World-class faculty
- Edge-of-your-seat online learning
- Global peer collaboration and networking
- Real-world, case-based learning
Harvard Business School Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by business leaders across a variety of industries. You’ll wrestle with the same issues and imperfect information, while problem-solving and interacting with fellow learners from around the world.
Stories from Our Learners
-
The platform was engaging, innovative, and allowed me to interact with the material in a way I never expected from an online course.
-
I had never experienced such an immersive platform online, and could argue that it was more effective at building and solidifying knowledge than some of the in-class courses I took in college.