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Individual Course

Health Care Economics

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Course Length

6 weeks

3-4 hours a week

Featuring faculty from:

Harvard Medical School LogoHarvard Medical School

Certificate Price:

$ 1,600

Enroll by May 21, 2026

Enroll Now

Certificate Price:

$ 1,600

Enroll by May 21, 2026

Enroll Now

Taught by Harvard Medical School faculty, this Harvard Online course provides insights into the interactions between industries in the US health care sector and teaches what economic forces are shaping health care.

Why is health care spending so high in the US? What are the primary drivers of rising health care costs? What is the relationship between finance and health care? How does money shape your decision-making as a patient, provider, or payer? Is a sustainable healthcare architecture possible?

Even for those within the health care industry, the economics of the United States health care system are stunningly complex and can be challenging to navigate. In Health Care Economics, gain insights into the interactions between industries in the health care sector and learn what economic forces are shaping health care. You will cover core topics in health care economics, such as moral hazard and adverse selection, and examine how these forces, as well as the actions of patients, providers, and other key stakeholders, shape outcomes in the health care market.

Balancing the needs of patients and purchasers is a daily struggle for health care leaders and central to the success of any health care business. To make this happen, clinical, research, operational, and financial leaders need a shared understanding of the true drivers of health care spending, the policies that shape and define the sector, and how financial incentives impact both patient and provider behavior. This course will examine health care spending growth, considering new technologies and other economic factors, and explore the theoretical framework behind controlling spending growth through changes to benefit design and payment reform.

Self-Guided

Harvard Online

Industries:

  • Health Care
  • Government
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Financial Services
  • Howard H. D., MD, FACC
  • Denver S. III, MD
  • Krishna K. C., MPH

Global Learning Community

  • Learn from real case studies
  • Do it on your own time
  • Get a certificate, add it to your resume
  • Be part of the Harvard Community
Data Science for Business values

Syllabus

Health Care Economics provides insights into the interactions between industries in the health care sector and teaches what economic forces are shaping health care. Learning requirements: There are no required prerequisites to enroll in this course. In order to earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online, participants must thoughtfully complete all 6 modules, including associated assessments, by stated deadlines.

Download Full Syllabus

Faculty

Industry Experts

Your Instructor

Michael Chernew, PhD

Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

Michael Chernew, PhD, is the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chernew’s research examines several areas related to improving the health care system, including studies of novel benefit designs, Medicare Advantage, alternative payment models, low-value care, and the causes and consequences of rising health care spending. Dr. Chernew is currently serving as Chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), where he previously served as the Vice Chair and as a Member. In 2000, 2004, and 2010, he served on technical advisory panels for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that reviewed the assumptions used by Medicare actuaries to assess the financial status of Medicare trust funds. He's a member of the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Health Advisors and Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Health Connector Board. Dr. Chernew is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at MITRE. He's currently a co-editor of the American Journal of Managed Care and on advisory boards for several private companies in the health care space, including Virta Health, Archway, and HEALTH[at]SCALE.

Industry Expert

Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH

Director of the Codman Center for Clinical Effectiveness in Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Matthew Hutter is a Professor in Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Codman Center for Clinical Effectiveness in Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He will share his perspective on how new technologies can have unexpected consequences in terms of cost and utilization of care.

Industry Expert

Sandhya Rao, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Dr. Sandhya Rao is chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts , the largest private health plan in Massachusetts. Learn from Rao about the challenges in health insurance today.

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

Industry Expert

Joseph Newhouse, PHD

Professor of Health Policy and Management

Joseph Newhouse is the Professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard University and the Director of the Division of Health Policy Research and Education. Explore the striking and unexpected results of the RAND health insurance experiment and patients’ response to higher copays and deductibles with Professor Newhouse.

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.


This is an amazing course. The professor did a fantastic job dissecting the complexities of healthcare into chewable chunks.

Howard H. D., MD, FACC

Medical Director, Cardiac Services, Greater Sacramento. The Permanente Medical Group and Chief, Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente, South Sacramento

I love that the format lets me learn asynchronously when I have time in my busy schedule. ... The courses foster this peer engagement much more effectively than I have found in other online courses that I have taken.

Denver S. III, MD

Chief Financial Officer, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology and Associate Professor of Pediatrics

This is a very well designed course to understand the nuances of the US healthcare system economics. The videos and the guest talks were very helpful to understand the real world examples... Overall a very good course.

Krishna K. C., MPH

Associate Director, Data Science & Statistics

This program offered invaluable insights into healthcare financing, delivery models, and value-based care, enhancing my ability to navigate economic complexities and drive innovation in the healthcare industry.

Khirstyn-Lien V.

Senior Sales Account Executive

I like that it is a virtual course, and people can do it during their free time within a limited time. I like the content, which is very dynamic and interactive with many other thoughts and financial ideas.

Fernanda C.

Medical Doctor

Each topic was well covered and understandable for a regular audience, without sacrificing accuracy. I enjoyed learning about case studies. Each takeaway was very helpful in understanding the main idea of ​​each module. Overall, I have learned a lot about healthcare economics through this course. I want to thank all the people who made this course possible.

Alexander A. C.

Assistant Professor and Researcher in the Department of Economics and Finance

This course puts everything into perspective from the principle of demand and supply to the different payment models. Both patients and healthcare provider would be well served to understand these basic concepts to better utilize healthcare services.

Preci

Consultant & Head Neurosurgeon

The experience I have gathered for the course content and diverse peer group is invaluable and will definitely enrich my knowledge in the humanitarian-developmental field.

Md Shajib H.

Health Cluster / Sector Coordinator

This course was interactive and included useful explanation through video and exercises.

Dr Eunice TAFAM-NANKAP

MD/Access Lead Africa

Healthcare is a Human Right ✊🏾 👩🏾‍💼 As an Employee Benefit Expert, I learned early on that access to healthcare is a privilege and even if you can afford it, you still need help to understand it. 👩🏾‍🏫 I made it my mission to increase Benefits literacy in my workplaces and connect employees and their loved ones to the care they needed. 👉🏾The next phase of my work is to help bridge the #healthequity gap in the US by increasing the #equity and #inclusive design and delivery of #employeebenefits across industries. 🤲🏾 To better serve my community and clients, I constantly push myself to learn, evolve, and share best practices. 👩🏾‍🎓Gaining a certificate in #HealthcareEconomics from @onlinehbs helps me to better understand the landscape from the provider point of view. I’m now more equipped to help employers, employees, and those on someone else’s plan to make better decisions.

Cassandra R.

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Past Participant Discounts

Learners who have enrolled in at least one qualifying Harvard Online program can receive a 30% discount, automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment.


Learners who have earned a verified certificate for a HarvardX course hosted on the edX platform are eligible to receive a 30% discount using a discount code. Please check your email for a code or contact us.

Nonprofit, Government, Military, and Education Discounts

Eligibility is determined by a prospective learner’s email address, ending in .org, .gov, .mil, or .edu. Interested learners can apply below for the discount and, if eligible, will receive a promo code to enter when completing payment information to enroll in a Harvard Online program.

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FAQs

We offer 30% discounts to past participants of select Harvard Online courses. We also offer discounts on select courses to learners who work in nonprofits, government, military, or education, or are U.S. veterans. You can find more information about current discounts and eligibility on our course policies and discounts page.

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Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online

Certificate in Health Care Economics

[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online

Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]

Degree: Other; Certificate in Health Care Economics

Field of Study: Leave blank

Grade: Complete

Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Health Care Economics is an online course that allows you to explore how fundamental economic forces shape health care, and the ways that changing policies can influence the decisions made by patients, providers, and other industry leaders.

You are expected to complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely way. This includes completing the modules and fully answering the questions in each module between the course start and end dates so that the cohort can move through the course at a similar pace and benefit from social learning opportunities. ⁠In addition to completing modules and assignments, you are expected to provide feedback on other learners’ reflections and contribute to discussions on the platform.

⁠You can set your own daily or weekly routine and adjust it as needed, but to receive your certificate you must complete all modules and assignments by the stated course end date. Learners who do not complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course. No letter grades are assigned for this course; your participation is evaluated on a complete or incomplete basis.

For detailed information about technology and bandwidth requirements, please see our full Harvard Online FAQs.

There is no application required for this course. You can enroll directly through Harvard Online if you are at least 18 years old, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

Most participants are in a health-care related field and there are no prerequisites. Health Care Economics focuses on how basic economic principles affect health care spending and value. No prior coursework in economics is required, but a basic understanding of algebra and familiarity with reading charts and graphs will be helpful.

Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online. Our team reviews all participant coursework after the final deadline in your course, and, once eligibility is confirmed, your Certified Electronic Credential will be delivered to your email address.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of the course, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts that were introduced throughout the course. We hope the summary document will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

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