Insurance coverage has changed Quality change Treatments are very different (better more expensive) Overall, the costs are worth it (by a lot). But...

Insurance coverage has changed Quality change Treatments are very different (better & more expensive) Overall, the costs are worth it (by a lot). But theyre still high! Why study health economics? Cost: Prices are high Can you afford to get sick? Access: over 40 million people lack insurance Quality: medical mistakes kill; much care is high cost / low value HMOs among most hated industries Government vs. Private provision? What is Health Economics? Health economics studies the supply and demand of health care resources and the impact of health care resources on a population. What is Health? Can you actually define health, or do you just know it when you see it? Official WHO definition: Health is a state of complete physical mental, and social well-being physical, mental well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Every state of health can be placed somewhere along this continuum. Was it worth it? Yes. Live 9 yrs longer in total Live 3 Is it still wor