Unit Code: HSM711

Unit Name: Health Care Financing

Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of what entails the process of financing the health sector. Our regional and national health systems are under increasing pressures and demands for the provision of health services that far exceeds their ability to provide them effectively given the constraints on financing resources. The mobilization and utilization of scarce health financing resources within health systems is a challenge for many health managers. Mobilization of financing resources deals with how health managers understand the health financing flows in a health system and actively engages in exploiting resourcing for health. Utilization is about the equitable, efficient and effective allocation of scarce health financing resources to deliver quality health services. The economic decision making environment also stresses the importance of financial information as a key ingredient for decisions in financial and resource allocation and management.

Learning Target Outcomes: On successful completion of this course, the students will be able to: 1. Describe the nature and role of financing in health systems 2. Explain the concept of health financing in terms of revenue collection, risk pooling and purchasing services 3. Analyse healthcare resourcing mechanisms in the Public Sector 4. Analyse healthcare resourcing mechanisms in the Private Sector 5. Analyse healthcare resourcing mechanisms in other sectors 6. Compare the resource mechanisms for health in Pacific Island countries 7. Use national health accounts as a health financing tool

Prerequisite: Nil

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 15

Offered In: Semester 2