BAEcon Economics

The unit aims to provide the students with a theoretical and empirical understanding of how health services are funded around the world, with an emphasis on how resources are generated, pooled and distributed to purchase different services. The unit will provide students with the knowledge required to examine and assess different policy option, the trade-offs that they may generate, the implications for efficiency and equity.

 

Each lecture will provide theoretical elements and applied examples from diverse settings which will illustrate a variety of approaches and applied micro-econometric methods used tin empirical analysis.  

 

The unit combines classroom teaching with guided self-study. 

(ECON10232 OR ECON20232 OR ECON10172) AND (ECON20110 AND ECON20222)

The unit aims to:  

Provide the students with a theoretical and empirical understanding of how health services are funded around the world, with an emphasis on how resources are generated, pooled and distributed to purchase different services

Provide students with the knowledge required to examine and assess different policy option, the trade-offs that they may generate, the implications for efficiency and equity

The course is structured around an initial understanding of health financing functions in the first half of the course, including revenue generation, resource pooling and distribution and service purchasing. In the second half the focus will be on specific topics of policy relevance.

 

For each lecture key readings will include one book chapter and two applied papers (preferably one on a low or middle-income and one on a high-income country). Applied papers will also illustrate methods used for empirical analysis allowing students to familiarise with them.

 

1 – Health systems and public finance – flow of funding and health financing functions

2 – Revenue collection: taxation, insurance and out of pocket payments

3 –Health insurance (including National Health Insurance)

5 – Resource allocation: Formula funding of public services  

6 – Regional variation in healthcare  

7 – Provider payments  

8 – Assessing equity and efficiency

9 – Human resources  

10 – Public Health and Social Care  

Synchronous activities (Lectures and tutorials), and guided self-study.  

Each lecture will provide theoretical elements and applied examples from diverse settings which will illustrate a variety of approaches and applied micro-econometric methods used in empirical work.  

Tutorials will consist of exercises and small-groups discussions around empirical applications of the concepts learnt during the lectures and will represent opportunities for clarifying and strengthening the understanding as well as broadening the knowledge of applications.

Students are expected to read additional material (provided through the virtual learning environment) and undertake guided research outside contact time. 

Acquire a framework for understanding and analysing health financing and related trade-offs 

Understand ways of funding health and how they vary across high as well as middle– and low-income countries 

Familiarise with methods for empirical analysis

Critically evaluate health systems options given a particular context and taking into account societal constraints

Able to read, understand and critically appraise research in the area of health financing 

Gather, analyse and interpret information on health financing relating to a particular country context 

Relate economic concepts to real world policy issues 

Present arguments for different audiences including academic and policy  

30% Group Coursework (country case study) - 1500 words and short presentation

70% Final Exam - 2h

Tutorial discussion

Written feedback on assessment

Group-level feedback

Textbook chapters from:  

Glied, S., and P. C. Smith (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Health Economics (online edn, 2012) Oxford Academic,  https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199238828.001.0001, (not currently available through the Library)  

Culyer, AJ and J P. Newhouse (eds), Handbook of Health Economics, vol1  

Pauly, MV, T G. Mcguire P P. Barros (eds), Handbook of Health Economics, vol2

Accessible online https://www.sciencedirect.com/handbook/handbook-of-health-economics/volumes

Borghi, Josephine, Maceira, Daniel, Prinja, Shankar and Wiseman, Virginia (2025) Health Financing in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The Path to Universal Health Coverage, De Gruyter, 2025. (not currently available through the Library – forthcoming - available online open access https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9783111128238/html?lang=en&srsltid=AfmBOopCj0t5dBiVSgKnesBb29n0QuWtQtzIqOY0ovfjnFiAvqo0osYf  )  

Morris, 2. Et al. (2012) Economic Analysis in Healthcare, 2nd ed (available online through library)

 

 

Topic specific additional reading from journals or freely available online resources (reports, blogs)