The American Health Care System and Health Policy

In this course you will learn about the structure and functioning of the U.S. health care system. The health care system in the U.S. has been challenged by high and rising costs, a failure to ensure universal access to care, and a need to ensure the quality of care provided to patients. We will explore in depth how our health care system works, how its structure and function contributes to the challenges we are confronting, and explore changes to the healthcare system that could help address them. The course has two main parts, the first focused on health insurance and health care financing, and the second focused on health care providers like doctors and hospitals. In addition, we bring other important topics like the Affordable Care Act, pharmaceuticals and health reforms. Note: HUMBIO courses in the 120s (specifically HUMBIO 120, HUMBIO 120A, HUMBIO 120B) are designed to have complementary content and offer a variety of perspectives on the Health Care System. Recommended Prerequisites: Human Biology Core.