Units / MPH5220
MPH5220 · Introductory health economics
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit provides an introduction to health economics. For many of you, this will be the first time you may have studied economics so we have developed the course with this in mind. We will cover topics including - • Why is the discipline of economics relevant to healthcare? Key economic concepts such as opportunity costs, marginal analysis efficiency, and the concept of benefit. • Basic microeconomic tools for health economics including, demand, supply, markets, market failure, and the role of governments. • The Australian healthcare system from an economic perspective including structure and expenditure. • The role of health insurance and different funding mechanisms in health care. • Important public healthcare policy topics from an economics perspective including the reform of Medicare and efficiency in sub-sectors of the healthcare system (such as primary care and hospitals).
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Hospital | First semester | Activities scheduled as a mix of on-campus and online activities (BLENDED) |
Assessment
The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 short developmental activities | Examination | 40% | — |
| 2 | Final Assessment (8-10 min Oral Presentaion and 3,100 words written essay) | Examination | 60% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
prohibitions
- HEC5970 — Introduction to health economics
Learning outcomes
- Define key economic concepts, including efficiency, opportunity cost, utility, costs and benefits.
- Compare health care markets and markets in other sectors.
- Explain the unique characteristics of healthcare which make the application of standard market based economic theory problematic. including the role of governments.
- Explain the role that governments can play when standard economic theory fails.
- Evaluate different health financing methods in terms of created incentives and disincentives.
- Evaluate health care challenges and policies from an economic lens.
Workload
6 hours of teacher-directed study per week, including a combination of synchronous and asynchronous lectures, videos, zoom sessions, and tutorials. 6 hours per week of self-directed study. Total per week = 12 hours
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Workshops | — |
| Tutorials | — |
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