Health Economics

This is an introductory course to the field of health economics. Economic concepts such as scarcity, incentives, marginal analysis, profit-maximization and cost-minimization will be used throughout this course. It first begins with production of health capital, demand-and- supply analysis of health and health care and production of health. It then discusses the importance of asymmetric information (adverse selection, moral hazard) in insurance markets. Other topics covered may include the role of government in the provision of health care, economics of mental health and happiness, and health policy debates in developing countries. This course is also an SMU-X course which involves the participation of an industry partner in the course project.