BUS4122 All Units Discussions Latest 2020 November

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 1 Discussion

DQ1 Cost, Quality and Access

Introduction

A key question that we will examine throughout this course is how health care professionals can effectively address the trade-off between cost, quality, and access of health care. What happens to quality and access when we attempt to make health care less expensive? If quality increases, must costs increase as well? If access is increased, what are the impacts on costs and overall quality?

Instructions

For your main post:

Investigate the concepts of the “Triple Aim” and the “Iron Triangle” and provide your thoughts on whether or not it is possible to have a low-cost, high-quality, wide-access health care system..

Provide historical perspectives related to how the United States has addressed health care spending, delivery, and quality.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Explain and justify whether or not you agree with your peer’s thoughts on the feasibility of having a low-cost, high-quality, wide-access health care system.

Discuss what you found interesting or helpful in their discussion posts.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Examine historical perspectives related to how the United States has addressed health care spending, delivery, and quality.

Discuss the feasibility of a low-cost, high-quality, wide-access U.S. health care system.

DQ2 Key Economic Concepts

Introduction

Considering the overall complexity of economic theory, it may come as a surprise to some that a relatively small number of key concepts guide overall economic thought. This discussion will help you to become more familiar with these concepts.

Instructions

Given the key economic concepts of scarcity and choice, opportunity cost, marginal analysis, self-interest, markets and pricing, supply and demand, competition, efficiency, market failure, and comparative advantage, define your assigned concepts (below) and discuss their overall value to health care management professionals.

Learners with last names beginning with letters A–F, focus on the following economic concepts:

Scarcity and choice.

Opportunity cost.

Marginal analysis.

Self-interest.

Learners with last names beginning with letters G–O, focus on the following economic concepts:

Markets and pricing.

Supply and demand.

Competition.

Learners with last names beginning with letters P–Z, focus on the following economic concepts:

Efficiency.

Market failure.

Comparative advantage.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning. If possible, respond to learners who discussed economic concepts different from yours.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on the connections your peers made between their assigned concepts and the value they provide to health care management professionals.

Share your personal thoughts and opinions on the most interesting aspect of the information in your peers’ posts. Compare and contrast your own findings with that of your peers.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Define key economic concepts.

Discuss the value of key economic concepts to health care management.

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 2 Discussion

DQ1 Relevance of Economics in Health Care

Introduction

Economics involves the study of scarcity, and of how people use resources, respond to incentives, and make decisions. Economics can also be used to help understand historical trends, interpret today’s headlines, and make predictions about the coming years.

Instructions

For your main post:

Discuss how an understanding of economics is beneficial to health care management professionals.

Provide at least two examples of how economics is used in the health care field.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Explain and justify whether or not you agree with their thoughts on the benefits of economics.

Discuss what you found interesting or helpful related to the examples they provided.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Identify ways in which economics is used in the health care field.

Discuss the relevance of economics to the health care management professional.

DQ2 Economic Evaluation in Health Care

Introduction

A spending crisis within the health care field requires health care managers to continually search for ways to shift spending from services of minimal economic value to those with high cost-effectiveness or net savings. Prioritizing services that produce the greatest health benefits for the dollars spent is at the heart of economic evaluation.

Instructions

For your main post:

Discuss the importance of economic evaluation and the various types of economic evaluation.

Considering the cost-savings potential of preventive care, use economic evaluation to take a stance for or against the value of preventative care.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Explain and justify whether you agree with their thoughts on whether or not it is possible to have a low-cost, high quality, wide access health care system.

Take an opposing view of one of your peer’s positions on the value of preventative care. Use economic evaluation principles to defend your view.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Describe types of economic evaluation.

Use economic evaluation principles to justify a position for or against the value of preventative care.

Discuss the role of economic evaluation in health care management.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 3 Discussion

Spending and the Production of Health

Introduction

It is no secret that the United States spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world. You may expect that we would be the healthiest because of this spending; however, we are not. In fact, we are far from it!

Instructions

For your main post:

Discuss why the United States spends the most on health care but does not have the healthiest population.

Medical care spending is not the only thing that improves health. Identify and discuss other factors that affect health status and how these factors relate to the overall health status of the United States.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In each response, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s findings related to the United States’ spending on health care related to the population’s overall health status.

Identify a factor (outside of medical care spending) that your peer did not discuss and suggest why it would be an important element to include.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Discuss the relationship between health care spending and outcomes in the United States.

Identify factors other than medical care spending that affect the overall health status of the U.S. population.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 4 Discussion

DQ1 Policy and Population Health

Introduction

Population health is both a social and political concept that has the overall goal of prolonging life, improving health, and enhancing quality of life within populations. These goals are achieved through health promotion, disease prevention, and other forms of health policy interventions.

Instructions

For your main post, choose one of the following “break out topics” from this week’s studies in your Health Economics and Policy textbook. Discuss the issue you selected and how economics and policy play a role in addressing it.

“SuperSize Mine” (p. 180).

“The Cost of Obesity” (p. 188).

“Are Cigarette and Alcohol Consumption Sensitive to Price Increases?” (p. 198).

“Alcohol Consumption and Traffic Deaths: The Case for Higher Excise Taxes” (p. 199).

“The Question of Drug Legalization” (p. 200).

“The Impact of a Trans Fat Ban on Health” (p. 203).

Find at least one additional outside source from research to support your discussion. Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Provide additional insight to your peer’s post. The goal here is to contribute to their discussion, providing supportive information or possibly filling in some gaps of key information that would help to better support their points.

Find an additional supportive piece of research to complement the one provided by your peer.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Describe issues of population health in the United States.

Discuss the role of economics and health policy interventions in addressing specific population health issues.

DQ2 Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts on Health

Introduction

When analyzing the health of a population, there are many factors that economists must take into consideration. Two of the key elements are socioeconomic factors (income, wealth, education, employment, and social support), and environmental factors (urban design, food access, clean air and water, safety, and culture).

Instructions

For your main post:

Focus on either socioeconomic or environmental factors and discuss their impacts on health. Share an example from research related to your factor to clearly demonstrate how health is impacted.

Discuss a current public policy or policy consideration and its relevance to your chosen factor.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Ask questions and answer a question (see below) as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning. Try to spread out your questions and answers among different posts; however, multiple questions and answers to a single post are allowed.

In your responses, address the following:

Questions: Choose posts from two of your peers and ask clarifying or probing questions related to their discussions.

Answer: Answer a question posed by one of your peers. The first priority would be to answer a question directed to your main post. If no one responded to your post with a question, you can answer a question directed to one of your peer

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Describe the impacts of socioeconomic and environmental factors on health.

Discuss the relevance of current public policy or policy considerations to socioeconomic and environmental factors.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 5 Discussion

Hospital, Physician and Pharmaceutical Markets

Introduction

The term market broadly refers to a situation where consumers and producers interact (directly or through intermediaries) to trade goods and services. Three markets are introduced in this unit’s studies: hospital, physician, and pharmaceutical.

Instructions

For your main post:

Provide a brief overview and history of the hospital, physician, and pharmaceutical markets.

Identify the market you currently work in (if any) and which one you would ultimately like to become a leader within.

Provide insight into current economic and/or policy issues within these markets. An example may be direct-to-consumer advertising within the pharmaceutical industry and its impacts on the various markets. Another focus could be the shortages of physicians or the fact that almost 75% of the world’s research and development spending on pharmaceuticals is done by the United States.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have or feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Explain the impacts of key historical events on health care markets.

Examine current economic and policy issues within health care markets.

 

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 6 Discussion

DQ1 Informational Interview: Initial Plans

Introduction

Informational interviews provide an opportunity to expand your knowledge and awareness of how the theories and concepts presented in an academic course play out in direct application in the field. Over the next few weeks (in preparation for your Unit 8 assignment), you will need to interview a health care professional within one of the following markets: physician, hospital, or pharmaceutical.

Completion of this discussion and the feedback you receive will help you prepare for your upcoming informational interview assignment.

Instructions

For your main post:

Identify the market within the health care industry that you are interested in focusing on (physician, hospital, or pharmaceutical).

Identify the managerial candidate you have chosen for your interview and briefly describe his or her organization or department.

Identify how you plan to conduct the interview (in person, virtual, or phone).

Share the time and place of interview, if scheduled or already completed.

Share your interview questions.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment and offer suggestions on your peer’s choice of interviewee, depth of preparation, and the quality and relevance of their interview questions.

Identify ideas that were shared that will help you prepare for your own interview.

You may wish to review How to Conduct an Informational Interview (linked in Resources) before responding to your peers.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Critique plans for informational interviews of health care management professionals.

Recommend ways to improve informational interview questions.

DQ2 Impacts of Cost Sharing and the Uninsured

Introduction

The number of uninsured Americans and the exorbitant costs of insurance are two of the top concerns of health care policy writers, economists, and managers.

Instructions

For your main post:

Describe the typical person in the United States who is without insurance and discuss whether or not the lack of insurance means the uninsured have no access to medical care.

Explain why health care insurance plans require patients to pay a portion of their medical expenses out-of-pocket.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have and feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Discuss issues related to uninsured individuals in the United States.

Explain why health care insurance plans require patients to pay part of their medical expenses.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 7 Discussion

Informational Interview – Market Focus

Introduction

The purpose of this discussion is to follow up on your initial preparations for your informational interview, and to assure that you are on track for completing your informational interview assignment by the end of next week.

Instructions

For your main post:

After reading about health care markets in more depth, are you still satisfied with the market you chose to focus on for your informational interview? Why or why not?

If you have revised or plan to revise your interview questions or market choice based on last week’s discussion and your additional learning, please share those changes.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have and feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Plan an informational interview of a health care management professional.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 8 Discussion

The Economics of Global Health Care

Introduction

International comparisons indicate that other countries are doing more with less when it comes to health care. As the costs of health care delivery in the United States continue to soar, it has become necessary to “benchmark” with other countries abroad on how they deliver health care to their citizens.

Instructions

For your main post:

Select two OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, and compare and contrast how those countries finance, structure, and deliver health care with the United States.

Provide several reasons why health care spending is higher in the United States than in other countries.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have and feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Compare and contrast how the United States and other countries finance, structure, and deliver health care.

Explain why health care spending is higher in the United States than in other countries.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 9 Discussion

DQ1 Informational Interview: Results

Introduction

By sharing your findings and overall knowledge gained from your professional interview based on your interviewee’s real-life experiences related to health care management, economics, and public policy, you are helping to enrich your peers’ understanding of the application of course content.

Instructions

For your main post, post your Unit 8 Informational Interview Report assignment as soon as possible for your peers to review.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Highlight details and insights gained from at least two of your peer’s reports and discuss the value of this information in relation to your current or future health care management career.

When reviewing interviewee comments related to their overall experience with economics and public policy and how often they use or are impacted by these in their day-to-day responsibilities, what stood out to you most about their comments? Did you notice any common trends in responses or unique outliers?

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Discuss helpful information and insights for planning health care management careers.

Recognize how economics and public policy can impact the daily responsibilities of health care professionals.

DQ2 Topic of Interest Related to Health Care Reform in the United States

Introduction

Reform debate is frequently viewed as a struggle among competing ideologies, and the political battle that ensues tends to overshadow the practical implications of what policymakers are actually trying to accomplish. Regardless of these views, issues in the U.S. health care industry remain focused on the same key variables: quality, access, and affordability.

Instructions

For your main post, select a topic related to health care reform in the United States that interests you, discuss your interest in the topic, and explain why you think it is important to address.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:           

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have or feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Analyze current issues in the U.S. health care industry related to quality, access, and affordability.

 

BUS4122 Health Care Economics

Unit 10 Discussion

Topic of Interest Related to Entitlement Programs

Introduction

Annual spending on Medicare and Medicaid has soared to over $1 trillion, requiring more public funds than any other program and making them the largest health insurance plans in the United States. Although support for these two programs is strong, many question how long they can survive in their current form.

Instructions

For your main post, select a topic of interest related to Medicare and/or Medicaid, discuss your interest in the topic, and explain why you think it is important to address.

Response Guidelines

Read and respond to the main posts of at least two peers as early in the week as possible to ensure the development of quality conversation and depth of learning.

In your responses, address the following:

Comment on your peer’s discussion, highlighting points of interest. Identify any questions you have and feel free to address a specific concern.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Analyze topics related to Medicare and Medicaid spending and viability.

DQ2 Course Reflection, Experiences and Learning

Introduction

Thoroughly understanding the application and impacts of health care economics and policies from a health care management perspective requires deep reflection on facts, ideas, and concepts. As a busy learner, it can be a challenge to find the time to reflect in order to digest what you have learned and experienced as you move quickly from one unit to the next. However, doing so will help you gain clarity as well as self-knowledge regarding personal application of the concepts and theories you have explored throughout the quarter.

Instructions

For your main post:

Discuss an important insight, idea, concept, or body of information gained from your studies in this course.

Discuss something you learned that is immediately applicable in your current or future business management career.

Discuss a topic, article, author, or publication that sparked your interest for further research.

List, with links, resources from the course that you would like to revisit for future use in your studies and your career.

Include references in current APA style and format for all your sources.

Response Guidelines

Responses to posts in this discussion are recommended, but optional; you are not required to post responses. If you do respond to peers’ posts, you may wish to comment on their learning experiences or provide feedback on the topics and resources they chose for further research and future use.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Reflect on insights and information gained from this course and how you may apply them.

Collate health care management resources for future academic or professional development.