Health Economics (4th Edition) [Hardcover]

Charles E. Phelps (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321594576 | ISBN-13: 978-0321594570 | Publication Date: February 20, 2009 | Edition: 4

Health Economics, 4/e combines current economic theory, recent research, and health policy problems into a comprehensive overview of the field. This thorough update of a classic and widely used text follows author Charles E. Phelps’s three years of service as Provost of the University of Rochester. Why Health Economics?; Utility and Health; The Transformation of Medical Care to Health; The Demand for Medical Care: Conceptual Framework; Empirical Studies of Medical Care Demand and Applications; The Physician and the Physician Firm; Physicians in the Marketplace; The Hospital as a Supplier of Medical Care; Hospitals in the Marketplace; The Demand for Health Insurance; Health Insurance Supply and Managed Care; Government Provision of Health Insurance; Medical Malpractice; Externalities in Health and Medical Care; Managing the Market: Regulation and Technical Change in Health Care; Universal Insurance Issues and International Comparisons of Health Care Systems. For all readers interested in health economics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Although other excellent textbooks have appeared since the first edition, Phelps remains the gold standard.”
—Alan Garber, Stanford University

“It is an excellent book, well written, clear, provides both a good understanding of the structure of the health care system and the stakeholders, and presents economic analyses to explain their behavior.”
—Dana Mukamel, University of California–Irvine

“I think the text is well organized. …It is more a story than a textbook in some places, and I like that feature. It is as if Phelps has taken what he knows that is appropriate for an undergraduate audience and written it down and we can just upload it. Rather than an encyclopedic attempt at covering the field (which I think many textbooks attempt, and I find less engaging).”
—Shirley Svorny, California State University–Northridge

“The greatest strength of this text is its emphasis on current research. In each chapter, Phelps includes concise and meaningful citations to the latest and most important research.”
—Jeffrey Milyo, Tufts University

About the Author

Charles E. Phelps went to the University of Rochester in 1984 as professor and director of the Public Policy Analysis Program, a graduate program offered by the Department of Political Science, in conjunction with the Department of Economics. In 1989 he became chair of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine and Dentistry. He became Provost in July 1, 1994, and served until July 31, 2007. As Provost, he was responsible for overseeing the academic activity of the University, including teaching, research, and supporting services (e.g., libraries, information technology, and technology transfer) in each of the University's six schools. He currently holds the titles of University Professor and Provost Emeritus.

Phelps has achieved national and international recognition for his scholarly research. In 1991 he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and to the National Bureau for Economic Research. He served for six years on the Report Review Committee of the National Academies.

Phelps is currently a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University (academic year 2008–2009).

Provost Emeritus Phelps participated from 1997 to 2007 in the Association of American Universities’ Committee on Digital Technology and Intellectual Property Rights, and was an active participant in the AAU's work in areas involving related topics. He testified before Congress in June 1998 on issues pertaining to the implementation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaty and has spoken on related matters in conferences on these issues sponsored by, among others, the Department of Commerce. In July 2005, he testified on Patent Reform for the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.

Provost Emeritus Phelps earned his bachelor’s degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California. He then earned both an MBA in hospital administration and PhD in economics from the University of Chicago. Before beginning his career at the University of Rochester, Phelps worked at the RAND Corporation from 1971 to 1984.

Phelps served from 1998–2006 on the Board of Trustees for the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) in Washington, DC, the last two years as Chair. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Research Libraries in Chicago, and on the Board of Directors of VirtualScopics, Inc., a diagnostic-imaging technology company located in Rochester, New York. He also serves as an advisor to CVT, a pharmaceutical company in Palo Alto, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 4 edition (February 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321594576
• ISBN-13: 978-0321594570
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Insurance

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking book, March 10, 2000

By 

Dr Ciaran O'Neill (Univeristy of Ulster, Belfast, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Health Economics (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

Having spent almost 10 years teaching health economics, I've read and used quite a few of the texts books that are around. Phelps' "Health Economics" is quite simply the best I've read bar none.

Its coverage is as comprehensive as one would want in a book of this type covering the standard demand, supply and policy issues as well as looking at specific aspects of the health economy such as medical malpractice. It is written largely from a US perspective but is by no means insular.

What I found particularly commendable in this book was its style and structure. Many books cover much of the material that is covered here but none in a fashion that is as readable, articulate or clear. Appendices are used to deal with technical issues (and deal with them in a way most students with a basic knowledge of economics will actually work through) while examples are used to provide an intuition that is often absent from other texts.

I cannot recommend the book highly enough for teaching at an undergraduate level or non-specialist postgrad level. I also recommend it as a good read for those working in the area of health economics. Quite simply a cracking book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, June 9, 2007

By 

Reader "Reader" (GA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Health Economics (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

I was interested in better understanding the complex issues regarding healthcare reform. This book fullfilled this role and provided me with a clear understanding of the overall healthcare economy. The author does an excellent job integrating published economic research into a thorough unbiased summary of healthcare economics. The book provides numerous references. I recommend this book to all. A prior understanding of basic microeconomics is desirable but not necessary for understanding this book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Undergraduate Health Economics Book, January 14, 2003

By 

emufan01 (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Health Economics (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

I am completing my final semester in the Economics Department at the University of Rochester. Looking back over all of the books that I have read as an undergraduate student, this book ranks among the top three (including books from other disciplines). Dr. Phelps offers a balanced perspective on a broad selection of health-related issues. Furthermore, he constantly backs up his analysis with insightful studies and statistics. Regardless of the quality of your professor, after reading this book, you will feel knowledgeable (from an economic perspective and more) about the issues facing our health care system (and to a certain extent, even those of other countries).