Health Policy and Management

Health policy and management is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the delivery, quality, and costs of health care for individuals and populations. Students who concentrate in health policy and management are trained in a variety of subjects including the complex structures of health care delivery in the U.S., legal and ethical foundations for health care, as well as policy processes designed to improve health care access among diverse populations.

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Sample Courses

Health care systems, and who pays for them, are different around the world. The economic burden of health care can be placed on a number of different groups, including the government, individuals, or mitigated by health insurance. This course covers economic principles as they apply to health services financing, provider payment policy and cost containment, individual demand for health care services, and cost-benefit analyses and economic incentives to promote public health goals. Students will understand the reasons behind the increasing costs of health care, access to health insurance, and the Affordable Care Act.

Legal and ethical issues are common in a health care setting. This course studies the ethical considerations of health care and interventions including intellectual property, entitlement benefits, and patient confidentiality. Students become familiar with the basic legal principles governing how health care institutions are operated and how legal doctrines are formulated.