Health Care Strategy
4-6 hours per week • Starting Oct 29, 2025
Individual Course
Course Length
6 weeks
3-4 hours a week
Featuring faculty from:
Harvard Medical School
Certificate Price:
$ 1,600
Apply by Oct 20, 2025
Apply NowCertificate Price:
$ 1,600
Apply by Oct 20, 2025
Apply NowTaught 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:
Analyze the Drivers of Health Care Spending
Understand Incentives in Health Care
Explore Risk, Benefit Design, and Market Roles
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.
Your Instructor
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
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
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 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.
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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Upskill your team
Engaging learning experiences and high-quality online content that can be delivered at scale
Solutions that focus on today’s in-demand skill areas to help attract, retain and future-proof your workforce
A variety of formats, from long-form courses that replicate an on-campus classroom experience to short-form content
Interaction with a global community of learners and leaders looking to develop their workforce, grow their business, and change the world
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.
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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