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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

Apply by Oct 20, 2025

Apply Now

Certificate Price:

$ 1,600

Apply by Oct 20, 2025

Apply 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.

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

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

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

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

Take two extra eligible courses for and receive a Health Care Leadership Certificate of Specialization

Health Care Leadership courses are developed with health care professionals in mind. Harvard University faculty guides you through topics with a specific focus on the current state of the US health care system and how you can apply innovative strategies to make improvements within your organization.

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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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