Fall 2012

Economics 456: Economics of Healthcare

This course applies economic analysis to the study of health and health care.  Topics include: the determinants of health status; features of the market for medical care; insurance and the organization of health care delivery; and the role of government in the health care sector.  Readings will focus on the U.S. health care sector.  A pre-requisite for the course is Economics 303.  This course fulfills the Economics major writing requirement.

Spring 2013

Pubp 623: Health Care Policy (crosslisted with Pubp 390) 

This seminar provides an introduction to the U.S. health care system and an overview of public policies pertaining to health care financing, cost containment, and health promotion.  These policies include approaches for expanding insurance coverage, controlling public healthcare spending in programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and improving the quality of health care and health status overall.  A particular focus of this course is on the government’s use of markets and market-based mechanisms to achieve policy goals. Readings for the course have been selected from various including texts and academic and policy journals, and will be available on Blackboard.  There is no required textbook.

Link to Blackboard Course Websites

Courses Taught in Previous Semesters

Econ 150W: Economics of Bad Behavior (Freshman Seminar)

 Economics is a social science that examines how individuals make decisions and interact in society.  However, some decisions or behaviors can be harmful to the individual, and others can threaten the well-being of those around them.  This freshman seminar introduces economic methods and principles by using them to study behaviors that are deemed “bad” or harmful from a societal perspective.  Covering topics such as smoking, obesity, illicit drug use, underage drinking, risky sex, crime, and gambling, this course will illustrate how economic tools can be used to: 1) explain why individuals engage in “bad” behaviors, 2) evaluate the consequences of these behaviors for society as a whole, and 3) evaluate proposed solutions to these problems.  No prior coursework in economics is required.