Includes bibliographical references and index.

U.S. healthcare system issues
The role of economics
The demand for health
The demand for health care
The market for health insurance
Health care production, costs, and supply
The healthcare workforce market
Technology transfer in health care
The competitive market
Market failures and the role of government
Socioeconomic factors
The hospital industry
The pharmaceutical industry
Economic evaluations
Comparing healthcare systems
Healthcare reform
Public policy and health economics

Essentials of Health Economics takes a timely approach to the study of the public health care system through the lens of economics. With the use of numerous examples and profiles related to the field, students and faculty will be able to grasp the importance and relevance of health economics as well as how it relates to more general analysis of health policy issues. This book has wide appeal among students of public health and health administration, since it conveys the essence of the economic issues at hand while avoiding complicated methodological issues that would interest only students of economics. It is written with the non-specialist in mind, while focusing on how to do descriptive, explanatory, and evaluative economics in a systematic way.