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Health Economics
Systems and Policy Field
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Health economics is an applied field of study that examines and finds systems-based solutions to make health care more equitable, accessible and affordable for all, covering how resources are mobilized, pooled and allocated to meet population health needs. Health financing, one of its core applications, is a core function of health systems that can enable progress towards universal health coverage, and the field also analyzes the cost-effectiveness of health interventions and tracks health expenditure.
Facts
Central QuestionHow should scarce health resources be mobilized, pooled and allocated to make the greatest sustainable improvement in population health, equitably and efficiently? 1 Key DebateSourced to the subject's own accountHealth economists widely use the quality-adjusted life year to compare how much health a given spending choice buys, but the measure carries its own unresolved ethical dispute: because otherwise healthy individuals cannot return to full health or achieve a high QALY score, critics argue that treatments for people who are quadriplegic, who have multiple sclerosis, or who live with other disabilities are systematically valued less under a QALY-based system, a concern the United States tested directly when Oregon's 1989 attempt to rank Medicaid coverage using a QALY-like measure was found in 1992 to violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, because it valued the life of a person with a disability less than the life of a person without one. 2 Key DebateWHO frames health financing as serving two goals together: expanding effective service coverage and protecting people from the financial hardship of paying for care. Health economists debate how a given financing choice, such as taxation, insurance or user fees, trades one goal against the other on the way to universal health coverage. 3 Cross-Tradition Connections
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Sources
1. Coursera: What Is Health Economics?
CourseraWhat Is Health Economics articleQuote, What Is Health Economics article
Health economics is an applied field of study that examines and finds systems-based solutions to make health care more equitable, accessible, and affordable for all.
2. Wikipedia: Quality-Adjusted Life Year
WikipediaUse and Debate sectionsQuote, Use and Debate sections
Oregon's plan in substantial part values the life of a person with a disability less than the life of a person without a disability
3. WHO: Health Financing
World Health OrganizationHealth Financing pageQuote, Health Financing page
Health financing is a core function of health systems that can enable progress towards universal health coverage by improving effective service coverage and financial protection.
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