MPE 781 Health Policy

This course is an introduction to various components of the U.S. health care system. It examines the multiple facets of the healthcare system including key stakeholders (Payers, Providers, and Patients), private and public financing mechanisms for medical care, and the effects of both market competition and government regulation. The main objective of the course is for students to learn to be able to critically examine how to assess policy and coverage decisions and the tradeoffs (cost, quality, access) associated with various health care decisions or treatment alternatives. Another focus of the course is for students to gain knowledge of the U.S. health care system relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, and the process for bridging these new medical and drug technologies into the private and public sector. A major example will include a debate related to the Medicare Modernization Act. As such, we will examine how collective interests shape the design of health policies.