Definition of Health Economics Scope

The scope of health economics extends beyond merely examining the allocation of health care resources to meet societal health needs. This specialty also concerns itself with health in general and the non-medical factors that influence it.

Features

• The scope of health economics begins with the basic question of what influences individual or societal health, other than health care.

Types

• Factors influencing health status include diet, environment and natural physical changes.

Medical Care

• After examining health and its overall value in a society, health economics asks to what extent changes in health status can be attributed to health care systems.

Function

• Health economics considers various types of health care systems, including pure market models, the government-driven systems of many nations and mixed systems, such as that of the United States.

Significance

• Health economics has risen in popularity as a specialty within economics because of rising medical costs and other issues related to health care reform.