The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the ecosystem of the U.S. healthcare industry using a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the structures, processes and outcomes of health services. We will focus on four major segments of the healthcare ecosystem:

1. Providers (hospitals, physicians, clinics, nursing homes, mental health, service providers)
2. Producers (pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, IT firms)
3. Payers (employers, government, consumers)
4. Partisans (insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, wholesalers)

The course will also cover how various healthcare components work individually, and how they work (or fail to work) together to create the “healthcare system.” We will also cover the important issues and questions relating to healthcare

economics and reform, pointing out trends and forces that are likely to influence the future direction of the U.S. healthcare system.

Course Format

• Lectures
• Case discussions
• Student presentations
• Guest speakers and site visits

Grading

• Case write-ups
• Exams (2)
• Team project–health subsystem assignment
• Class participation