Managing Health Care Costs

HPM 235 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Health care costs are high in the United States, and the rate of medical inflation is at the highest level in two decades. The high cost of health care crowds out other societal needs while the US health care system appears to deliver less value than many other health care systems. Health care costs are a challenge for individuals, for employers, and for government. But health care costs represent revenue and margin for many stakeholders, who often suggest that decreasing health care spending might threaten quality or decrease innovation.

We will review the advantages, disadvantages and feasibility of different approaches to moderating rising costs, including benefit design, medical management, utilization review, provider risk, trasnparency, and regulatory action. We will also review efforts to improve health care affordability in other countries, although the focus of the course is the US health care system.

Students will be encouraged to develop their own critical assessment of the prospects of using these techniques to control health care spending and to improve access and quality of care. This course consists of lectures, discussions, and case studies. Guest speakers will provide a first-hand perspective on some topics. Students will design an initiative to lower health care costs for the final group project.