Prof Elias Mossialos COW 2.12 and Mr George Wharton COW.2.14

This course is compulsory on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. This course is available on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Clinical Sciences. This course is not available as an outside option.

This course aims to give students a thorough grounding in health financing policy. It focuses on the health financing functions of collecting revenue, pooling funds and purchasing services, as well as on policy choices concerning coverage, resource allocation and market structure. The course mainly draws on examples from health financing policy in European countries, but the general principles studied apply internationally.

The course provides an overview of key health financing policy issues, including the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of raising revenue for health; the role of private financing mechanisms; the importance of pooling; decisions about whom to cover, what services to cover, and how much of service cost to cover; allocating resources to purchasers, purchasing market structure and the principles of strategic purchasing; the incentives associated with different methods of paying providers; and the issue of financial sustainability.

This course will be delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars totalling a minimum 23 hours. During the seminars, students will work in groups to present an overview of a health system in a country of their choice (having prepared in advance), providing an overview of its structure, organisation, management and financing. They will be asked to highlight particular strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges faced by the health system, a summary of key policy debates, and highlight potential policy solutions to critical challenges. Each presentation will be followed by a Q+A and a plenary discussion led by the seminar leader.

 

Group presentation giving an overview of a health system in a country of their choice, providing an overview of its structure, organisation, management and financing.

WHO, World Health Report 2010 - Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage (2010); E Mossialos, A Dixon, J Figueras & J Kutzin (eds), Funding health care: options for Europe, Open University Press (2002); J Kutzin, Health financing policy: a guide for decision-makers, World Health Organization (2008); T Rice, The economics of health reconsidered, Health Administration Press (3rd edn, 2009)

Students will be given access to essential readings before the course begins through the pre-sessional reading programme on Moodle. They will be expected to read these prior to the first day of class.

Take-home assessment (100%).