Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
The course features a series of lectures on health economics issues. Lectures are complemented by seminars.
The course provides students with a framework to understand principles of health economics, but also to understand health systems (their funding, pooling of funds, financing, purchasing, and provision of health care, and regulation of health systems). Topics regarding performance, effectiveness, and quality of health systems are also discussed.
Learning goals of the course are for students to:
1/ understand health economic principles, market failures and theories associated with them
2/ understand functioning of health systems in developed countries, their fundamentals and recent developments
3/ understand measurements of health status, health system performance and efficiency
4/ use economic theory to explain motivation and behavior of individual stakeholders
5/ use health economic theory and empirical findings to discuss up-to-date issues of health systems in developed countries
6/ assess proposed health policy and/or health systems changes using health economic theory and findings
Populations of developed countries are ageing, chronic diseases prevalence is on rise, all resulting in rising demand for health care. Technological progress brings innovations that transform into new, usually more efficient and safer, but also costlier, ways of treating diseases. These effects put pressure on public budgets which are used to finance health care and pose question of health systems’ financial sustainability without compromising access to needed health care for all citizens. At the same time, there are number of examples of poor quality and ineffectiveness of resource utilization in public health systems. Thus, the importance of understanding health economics is increasing.
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
ALL LECTURES AND SEMINARS in summer semester 2020/2021 ARE HELD ONLINE AS WEBINARS IN ADOBE CONNECT. LINK TO VIRTUAL CLASSROOM WAS SENT VIA SIS STUDENT MAILING LIST and individually through CUNI Adobe Connect invitations on February 18, 2021. In case you have not received it, please write me an email. Instructions for online webinars also to be found in the Moodle.
Timetable: ALL LECTURES START AT 9:30 am Central European Time! Seminars will follow right after the lecture, with a short break.
No lectures and seminars on April 2, 2021 (Easter Friday), and April 30, 2021 (Dean's Day).
!!!change in dates of seminar topics 6 and 7 - see below:
The seminar dates and topics:
February 26, Topic no. 10: “Test, trace, isolate”
March 5 Topic no. 1: “Public health – sin taxes”
March 12 Topic no. 2: “Information asymmetry”
March 19 Topic no. 3: “Vaccination”
March 26 Topic no. 4: “Role and place for profit in health care”
April 16 Topic no. 6 “Role of competition”
April 9 Topic no. 7: “USA healthcare reform”
April 23 Topic no. 8 “Sustainable financing and financial protection”
May 7 Topic no. 9 “Which health system organization is better”
Final exam will be held in Moodle.
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The course features a series of lectures on health economics issues. Lectures are complemented by seminars.
The course provides students with a framework to understand principles of health economics, but also to understand health systems (their funding, pooling of funds, financing, purchasing, and provision of health care, and regulation of health systems). Topics regarding performance, effectiveness, and quality of health systems are also discussed.
Learning goals of the course are for students to:
1/ understand health economic principles, market failures and theories associated with them
2/ understand functioning of health systems in developed countries, their fundamentals and recent developments
3/ understand measurements of health status, health system performance and efficiency
4/ use economic theory to explain motivation and behavior of individual stakeholders
5/ use health economic theory and empirical findings to discuss up-to-date issues of health systems in developed countries
6/ assess proposed health policy and/or health systems changes using health economic theory and findings
Populations of developed countries are ageing, chronic diseases prevalence is on rise, all resulting in rising demand for health care. Technological progress brings innovations that transform into new, usually more efficient and safer, but also costlier, ways of treating diseases. These effects put pressure on public budgets which are used to finance health care and pose question of health systems’ financial sustainability without compromising access to needed health care for all citizens. At the same time, there are number of examples of poor quality and ineffectiveness of resource utilization in public health systems. Thus, the importance of understanding health economics is increasing.
Course completion requirements -
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
Course requirements and grading rules
Grades will be based on the following criteria:
1. Student seminar presentation and discussion - max 30 points (i.e. 30% of the final grade) Deadline to sign for a student group and team topic: FEBRUARY 26, 2021, in the Moodle! Criteria for evaluation: 1.1 quality and structure of the presentation, active participation of group members; 1.2 relevance and structure of used arguments, quality of used literature sources and references; 1.3 participation in the debate, quality of arguments used in the discussion.
Date of each seminar topic will be strictly set and announced on the course webpage by the end of the second semester week. Questions from seminar topics may be included in the final written exam.
2. Group essay on the team topic (2000 words), based on seminar presentation and discussion - max 30 points (i.e. 30% of the final grade) Deadline for essays’ submission - May 14, 2021. Each started week of delay in submission lowers the essay grade by 20 percent. Criteria for essay evaluation: 2.1 structure of the essay - how well the essay is structured (introduction, arguments, conclusion), 2.2 content - arguments used, their relevance, robustness of arguments and conclusions, how students reacted to contra-arguments of their opponents stated in the class discussion 2.3 references - quality of literature sources, quality and properness of quotation and referencing, full list of literature sources
3.Final written test - based on topics covered by lectures and seminars! - max 40 points (i.e. 40% of the final grade) - multiple choice, single answer + open answer questions
!! Each of the 3 criteria has to be passed, i.e. it is necessary to score at least 51% from each criterio!! Grading scale: 91 % - 100 % => A 81-90 % => B 71-80 % => C 61-70 % => D 51-60 % => E 0-50 % => F
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
Course requirements and grading rules
Grades will be based on the following criteria:
1. Student seminar presentation and discussion - max 30 points (i.e. 30% of the final grade) Deadline to sign for a student group and team topic: FEBRUARY 26, 2021, in the Moodle! Criteria for evaluation: 1.1 quality and structure of the presentation, active participation of group members; 1.2 relevance and structure of used arguments, quality of used literature sources and references; 1.3 participation in the debate, quality of arguments used in the discussion.
Date of each seminar topic will be strictly set and announced on the course webpage by the end of the second semester week. Questions from seminar topics may be included in the final written exam.
2. Group essay on the team topic (2000 words), based on seminar presentation and discussion - max 30 points (i.e. 30% of the final grade) Deadline for essays’ submission - May 14, 2021. Each started week of delay in submission lowers the essay grade by 20 percent. Criteria for essay evaluation: 2.1 structure of the essay - how well the essay is structured (introduction, arguments, conclusion), 2.2 content - arguments used, their relevance, robustness of arguments and conclusions, how students reacted to contra-arguments of their opponents stated in the class discussion 2.3 references - quality of literature sources, quality and properness of quotation and referencing, full list of literature sources
3.Final written test - based on topics covered by lectures and seminars! - max 40 points (i.e. 40% of the final grade) - multiple choice, single answer + open answer questions
!! Each of the 3 criteria has to be passed, i.e. it is necessary to score at least 51% from each criterio!! Grading scale: 91 % - 100 % => A 81-90 % => B 71-80 % => C 61-70 % => D 51-60 % => E 0-50 % => F
Literature -
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
Olsen J.A.: Principles in Health Economics and Policy. Oxford. 2017. Chapter 10: Uncertainty and health insurance. Available from CUNI eLibrary (UKAŽ)
Bernell S.: Health Economics: Core Concepts and Essential Tools. Health Administration Press. 2016. Chapter 8: The insurance market. Available from CUNI eLibrary (UKAŽ)
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List of relevant literature and recommended further readings will be provided during lectures.
Main textbooks used in the class:
Feldstein, P. J. (2005); Health Care Economics, 6th edition; Thomson Delmar Learning – available in IES library, on-site lending only
McPake, B., Kumaranayake, L., Normand, C. (2005); Health Economics: An International Perspective; Routledge
William, J. (1999); Principles of Health Economics for Developing Countries; World Bank Institute
Further topics in health economics can be found in (all accessible on-line via CERGE-EI library):
Culyer, A.J., Newhouse, J.P. (editors, 2000); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 1A, 1st edition; North Holland
Culyer, A.J., Newhouse, J.P. (editors, 2000); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 1B, 1st edition; North Holland
Pauly, M., McGuire, T., Barros, P. (editors, 2011); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 2, 1st edition; North Holland
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
DUE TO LIBRARY CLOSURE these eBOOKS are available from CUNI eLibrary (UKAŽ) for all CUNI students at ukaz.cuni.cz:
Olsen J.A. (2017): Principles in Health Economics and Policy. Oxford – available from ukaz.cuni.cz + open for all CUNI students for academic year 2020/2021 at https://ezdroje.cuni.cz/prehled/zdroj.php?id=858
Bernell S. (2016) : Health Economics: Core Concepts and Essential Tools. Health Administration Press – available from ukaz.cuni.cz
For particular lectures:
Demand for health insurance:
Olsen J.A. (2017) - Chapter 10: Uncertainty and health insurance.
Bernell S. (2016) - Chapter 8: The insurance market.
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List of relevant literature and recommended further readings will be provided during lectures.
Main textbooks used in the class:
Feldstein, P. J. (2005); Health Care Economics, 6th edition; Thomson Delmar Learning – available in IES library, on-site lending only
McPake, B., Kumaranayake, L., Normand, C. (2005); Health Economics: An International Perspective; Routledge
William, J. (1999); Principles of Health Economics for Developing Countries; World Bank Institute
Further topics in health economics can be found in (all accessible on-line via CERGE-EI library):
Culyer, A.J., Newhouse, J.P. (editors, 2000); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 1A, 1st edition; North Holland
Culyer, A.J., Newhouse, J.P. (editors, 2000); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 1B, 1st edition; North Holland
Pauly, M., McGuire, T., Barros, P. (editors, 2011); Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 2, 1st edition; North Holland
Syllabus -
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
Course organization
The course is organized into lectures and seminars. For list of lecture topics see below.
Since health economics is an applied field of economic theory, the seminars make up substantial part of the course with the goal to actively involve students in discussions. Seminar topics are chosen to reflect current public and political debates on health economic issues, most of them have to do with ethics and social feeling and values as well. They are chosen to be controversial in opinions and point of views and with no easy answers to posed issues. During seminars, students practice their ability to analyze a problem, search and present clearly arguments supporting the given point of view and participate in the final general discussion.
Each seminar will cover one up-to-date topic in health policy and economics (see extra file). There will be two groups of students for each topic, covering 2 different points of view on the topic. Number of students in one student group is limited to 3 students (minimum 2 students). Each student group must prepare, in advance before their seminar session, a 15-minute presentation. The presentation should cover and present clearly the topic issue and students’ assigned point of view, explain it to other class participants and provide supporting examples, arguments and evidence from literature to support and defend their point of view. Groups’ presentations will be followed by a debate of the 2 groups and a discussion of the whole class, with the lecturer summing up the issue and arguments covering the topic.
Please note, the opinion defended in the presentation and discussion does not need to correspond to the student’s own personal opinion on the issue; however the presented statements must be in line with the assigned point of view of his or her student group!
By the end of the semester, each group of students shall hand in a group essay summarizing their point of view on the given topic. The essay should include following parts:
- summary of the group’s point of view, including supporting examples, arguments and evidences from the literature, with properly cited literature sources and full list of references at the end of the essay
- summary of findings and contra-arguments from the class debate and discussion
- reaction to arguments of the opponents and/or stated in the class discussion and conclusion to the group’s point of view. It can also answer such questions as whether personal point of view of the group members changed because of the discussion, why and how it changed.
Lecture topics:
Introduction. Overview of health systems and health economics, description of health systems.
Demand for health care and relationship between a patient and a provider of health care
Impact of health services on health status. Preserving health status of the population.
Demand for health insurance, pooling of funds and risk adjustment
Financing of health systems, issue of third party payment and moral hazard
New trends in improving quality and efficiency of health care provision
How to pay for health care - comparison of different reimbursement mechanisms
Health technology assessment, pharmacoeconomics
Current issues in health systems – projection models, financial sustainability
Long term care – organization and financing
Reform trends in health systems (NL)
Managed competition and markets in health systems, Health systems and economic cycle
Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D. (29.01.2023)
Lecture topics:
Introduction. Overview of health systems and health economics, description of health systems.
Demand for health care and relationship between a patient and a provider of health care
Impact of health services on health status. Preserving health status of the population.
Demand for health insurance, pooling of funds and risk adjustment
Financing of health systems, issue of third party payment and moral hazard
New trends in improving quality and efficiency of health care provision
How to pay for health care - comparison of different reimbursement mechanisms
Health technology assessment, pharmacoeconomics
Current issues in health systems – projection models, financial sustainability
Long term care – organization and financing
Reform trends in health systems (NL)
Managed competition and markets in health systems, Health systems and economic cycle
