Syllabus

Title
5610 Course III: Economics and Policy of the Private Healthcare Industry
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Dr. Marcel Bilger, Viktoria Szenkurök, MSc (WU)
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
02/16/23 to 02/23/23
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Friday 03/10/23 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.27
Monday 03/20/23 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM EA.6.026
Monday 04/17/23 08:00 AM - 08:45 AM TC.-1.61
Monday 04/17/23 09:15 AM - 12:00 PM TC.5.05
Monday 05/08/23 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM TC.3.03
Monday 05/22/23 08:00 AM - 08:45 AM TC.-1.61
Monday 05/22/23 09:15 AM - 12:00 PM EA.6.032
Monday 06/12/23 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM EA.6.026
Monday 06/26/23 08:30 AM - 09:15 AM TC.-1.61
Monday 06/26/23 09:15 AM - 12:00 PM TC.2.03
Contents

This introductory course explains key economic concepts that are relevant to the private healthcare industry. The presentation takes the perspective from private agents making economic decisions. The course covers patients as consumers of care, private health insurance companies, private hospitals and physicians, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Learning outcomes
  • Understand key health economic concepts
  • Ability to apply health economic theory to real life situations
  • Acquire skills that are directly relevant to the industry
Attendance requirements

This being a ‘course with continuous assessment (PI)’, the University requires students to attend at least 80% of the time of the scheduled course units for completing the course successfully. Ideally you attend all units fully. If you are unable to fully attend a unit, please let the Lecturer(s) know in advance. In case online units are scheduled, the same attendance requirements apply.

Notice of Special Regulation for Covid-19: If a student is required to quarantine, or is otherwise prevented from attending class, due to a certified case of Covid-19 infection or a federally mandated Covid-19 lockdown, and this affects either attendance or the completion of an exam or other required course assignment, the course instructor is empowered to provide an alternative means for said student to meet the attendance/assessment requirement as necessary. The same means will be required of any student in the same situation in this course.

Students with symptoms or other suspicions of Covid should contact this office (potential-covid@wu.ac.at). If given permission to stay home they must show official proof (e.g. forward the email) to the course instructors. Students must contact the potential Covid office if they believe they have symptoms. They cannot just decide to not attend class without this official permission (this would count as non-attendance).

Teaching/learning method(s)
  • The lecturers will explain key economic theory and the understanding will be consolidated by selected readings from a leading health economics textbook and other sources.
  • Economic theory will be discussed in the context of real life applications introduced via relevant newspaper articles and case studies.
  • Understanding of theory and specific skills will be acquired by means of in-class exercises and short home assignments.
Assessment

Assessment Components (relative weights in the final grade)

  • Participation (15%)
  • Quiz 1 (15%)
  • Quiz 2 (15%)
  • Quiz 3 (15%)
  • Written group assignment (40%)

Grades (point ranges)

  • 1: Excellent (90-100 points)
  • 2: Good (80-89 points)
  • 3: Satisfactory (65-79 points)
  • 4: Sufficient (50-64 points)
  • 5: Fail (0-49 points)
Readings

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

Availability of lecturer(s)

Please email lecturers for office hours.

Last edited: 2022-12-02



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