Health Economics combines current economic theory, recent research, and health policy problems into a comprehensive overview of the field. This thorough update of a classic and widely used text follows author Charles E. Phelps's 13 years of service as Provost of the University of Rochester.
Accessible and intuitive, early chapters use recent empirical studies to develop essential methodological foundations. Later chapters build on these core concepts to focus on key policy areas, such as the structure and effects of Medicare reform, insurance plans, and new technologies in the health care community.
In the Fourth Edition, a new focus on lifestyle choices-such as alcohol consumption, obesity, and tobacco use-explores how individual choices affect everyday health and the health care system at large. The latest theoretical developments, Medicaid and SCHIP, insurance plans, new technologies, international comparative studies, and policy updates are integrated where appropriate.
Chapter 1 Why Health Economics?
Chapter 2 Utility and Health
Chapter 3 The Transformation of Medical Care to Health
Chapter 4 The Demand for Medical Care: Conceptual Framework
Chapter 5 Empirical Studies of Medical Care Demand and Applications
Chapter 6 The Physician and the Physician Firm
Chapter 7 Physicians in the Marketplace
Chapter 8 The Hospital as a Supplier of Medical Care
Chapter 9 Horpitals in the Marketplace
Chapter 10 The Demand for Health Insurance
...etc...