Assignment: Introduction to Health Economics

Deliverable Length: PowerPoint presentation, 15-20 slides

The town of Sunnydale is a federally recognized primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) (See United States Department of Health and Human Services for more information).Within the town is Sunnydale Care, a municipally owned hospital and clinic. Sunnydale Care is the largest employer and revenue source for the town. Located in a rural geographical statistical area, Sunnydale is not as exposed to economically evident factors as micropolitan or metropolitan areas are. As an economist for HealthECom, a national health care management firm, you have been contracted by the town of Sunnydale to discuss the financial and economic implications of Sunnydale Care.

You have been asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation summarizing your findings for the town of Sunnydale. The presentation should be 15-20 slides, including detailed speaker's notes, and should address the following:

1. Briefly describe the importance of health economics to Sunnydale leaders and the potential benefits to Sunnydale of such knowledge.

2. Discuss Sunnydale's health care resources.

3. Help Sunnydale answer the following four basic questions of health care economics:

o What mix of nonmedical and medical goods and services should be produced in the macroeconomy?
o What mix of medical goods and services should be produced in the health economy?
o What specific health care resources should be used to produce the chosen medical goods and services?
o Who should receive the medical goods and services that are produced?

4. Using Figure 1-1 from the text to represent the quantity of maternity and nursing home services at Sunnydale Care, describe how the production possibilities curve (PPC) established an opportunity cost at MC - MD.

5. Educate Sunnydale on the various distributive output systems.

6. What are Sunnydale Care's various sources of medical funds?

7. What are the various implications for Sunnydale Care among each source of medical fund?

8. Examine the relationship among medical care cost, access, and quality of care.

9. Discuss the importance of individual ownership of health among Sunnydale residents and its implications for future investment opportunities.

10. What is the relationship among socioeconomic status, environment, and medical care in Sunnydale?

11. Offer recommendations that may improve the health of children, adults, and elderly residents in Sunnydale.

Adherence to APA standards, including citations and references, is required.

Reference

HPSA designation criteria. (n.d.). Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site.