The second is to give students an appreciation of some of the complex policy issues that decision makers face in reforming the health care system. I believe that policy-makers must understand the clinical perspectives of those in health care to be able to make good policy. I also believe that those working in clinical fields must understand the health policy-makers' perspective so they can inform good policy decisions. The solutions to the problems we face come from an open and frank dialogue about our goals, our limitations, and the methods to achieve or overcome them. Health policy must consider more than the bottom line.
Policy is a social activity and societies value more than cost efficiency.
Yet, health care is still a business and health care organizations must be run according to business principles. Helping you understand that strategic balance between the efficiency of the private market and equity and other social goals and their relationship to health policy is the main mission of this course. The course uses two main texts supplemented by articles from several journals. The Economics of Health Reconsidered , Thomas Rice, Health Administration Press, 1998. These two texts are intended to give you opposing views of some of the issues involved in health policy, with Feldman presenting the market view, and Rice presenting a view that stresses the weaknesses of the market.