Economics 157 - Health Economics

Hello, if you have any need, please feel free to consult us, this is my wechat: wx91due

Economics 157 - Health Economics

Summer 2024

Course Description

Economics 157 is a 4-unit course intended for upper-division economics majors. Other students are advised to contact the instructor prior to enrolling in the class.

Economics 157 is an advanced undergraduate course on the economics of health care provision and payment. In addition to representing an important input into our well being, spending on health care accounts for almost 20% of GDP in the United States. Are   we getting our money’s worth? How we choose to provide and pay for  health care has large and direct welfare impacts on the consumers and producers of health care nationwide. In this course we will primarily use methods from microeconomics to investigate how different aspects of the health care system function, and to assess the implications of policies designed to improve that functioning. We will use economic tools and techniques from the sub-disciplines of information economics, industrial organization, labor economics, public economics, behavioral economics, decision theory, and economic demography to   think about these questions.

The primary goals of the course will be to (i) apply an array of different theoretical and data-driven approaches to problem solving in health care markets and (ii) learn about the specific institutional details and policies relevant to those markets.

Prerequisites

On the books, the prerequisite is either ECON 100A or 101A, which are the intermediate microeconomics courses at Berkeley. Students without either of these may find the course difficult and are encouraged to postpone taking this course.

ECON 157 requires no prior knowledge of health care economics or institutions. The course will use quantitative analysis, including probability, statistics, and mathematical modeling, to study questions in health care economics, so you should feel comfortable with these tools before enrolling in the class. Non-economics majors who have only taken Economics 1 will likely find this course to be quite difficult. Economics majors without a solid understanding of probability and statistics may also find the course to be difficult. Calculus is not required but would be helpful.

Course Learning Objectives

As part of Berkeley's Undergraduate Student Learning Initiative

(USLI), the Economics Department has developed learning goals for the Economics major.

The specific learning goals for Economics 157 include:

→  CT1. Apply economic analysis to evaluate everyday problems.

→  QT1. Understand how to use empirical evidence to evaluate an economic argument.

→  QT2. Interpret statistical results.

→  QT4. Obtain and/or collect relevant data using specific qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.

→  CS1. Communicate effectively in written, spoken, and graphical form about specific economic issues.

→  CS2. Formulate a well-organized written argument supported by evidence.

→  LL2. Know how to locate and use primary data sources

Instructor Information & Communication

Course Instructor

Ryan D. Edwards | ryanedw@berkeley.edu

The instructor oversees all activities and grading and is also available to discuss course material and resolve issues. Please contact the instructor via email or visit in online office hours, which can be scheduled at https://calendly.com/ryandedwards

Readers

TBA

The course readers will hold online office hours, with days and times to-be-announced, and they are available via email to discuss course material.

Office Hours

The course instructor and GSIs will offer office hours via Zoom. These office hours allow for synchronous interaction with the instructor and GSIs and are a good opportunity to discuss your questions relevant to the course.

Instructor:

Please visit https://calendly.com/ryandedwards to schedule.

Readers: Day/Hour TBD (Pacific Time)

Details forthcoming. Please check the bCourses page.

Course Mail

You can also contact your GSI and instructor using the bCourses emailing system, accessed via your Inbox (in global navigation on the left). You can also choose to have your bCourses mail forwarded as text (SMS) or to your personal email.

Course Help

You’re not alone in this course; the instructor and GSIs are here to support you as you learn the material. It's expected that some aspects of this course will take time to grasp, and the best way to grasp challenging material is to ask questions.

To ask a question, use [the bCourses Q&A forum/Piazza/Ed

Discussion]. The instructor and GSIs will monitor this discussion forum, but you should also feel free to answer questions posted by other students. You can also reach out to the course staff in office  hours, during live discussion sections, and/or via email.

Students with Disabilities

If you require course accommodations due to a physical, emotional, or learning disability, contact UC Berkeley's Disabled Students' Program (DSP). Notify the instructor and GSI through course email of the accommodations you would like to use. You must have a Letter of Accommodation on file with UC Berkeley to have accommodations made in the course.

UC Berkeley is committed to providing robust educational experiences for all learners. With this goal in mind, we have enabled the ALLY tool for this course. You can now automatically generate “Alternative Formats” for course files and bCourses Pages. Depending on the context, these formats can include Tagged PDF, HTML, BeeLine Reader, Electronic Braille, ePub, Immersive Reader, MP3, and translated versions.  For more information watch the video entitled, "Ally in bCourses.”

Course Materials and Technical Requirements

Learning Activities and Assignments

You’ re expected to fully participate in all the course activities described below.

Asynchronous/Synchronous Format

Economics 157 will be offered asynchronously and 100% online. Office hours will be live via Zoom. Slides and videos of their narration will be available online; supplemental instruction materials that explain smaller details will be text-based and posted online; assessments will include measures of students’ posts to the course’s online discussion  board, online quizzes, online problem sets, a take-home midterm exam to be submitted online, and a final essay. (See below.)

All times listed are Pacific Time—please adjust for your time zone. If you prefer, you can set your own time zoneto display throughout bCourses.

Reading Assignments

Each week, you will find the assigned reading materials posted in bCourses.

Lectures

Each week, you’ll find lectures that provide important information and insights on the week’s topics. All lectures have been pre-recorded, for you to watch on your own: there are no live lecture meetings for this course. Recorded lectures support your readings and assignments but also contain additional material that may be included in the exams.

You’re expected to take notes while viewing the lectures as you would in a regular classroom.

Plagiarism Quiz (5%)

In addition to the weekly quizzes on course material, students must also complete a short, untimed plagiarism quiz on bCourses. Students are encouraged to take and retake the quiz as many times as required to earn a perfect score.

Weekly Quizzes (10%)

After completing the lectures and reading assignments for the week, take the weekly quiz. The quizzes will be online on bCourses and consist of single-answer multiple choice and true/false questions that primarily assess comprehension of material presented in the lectures, assigned textbook chapters, and from some of the primary supplemental material (and generally not from asterisked readings).

Quizzes will be timed and must be completed in one sitting. Expect a time limit of 2 minutes per question, with around 10 questions per weekly quiz.

Quizzes must be completed by the end of the week, 11:59 PM Sunday (Pacific Time).

If you have a Letter of Accommodation at UC Berkeley, confirm with your GSI that it has been received and accommodations have been made. Every time you start a quiz or exam, check to confirm you have the correct time accommodation, which bCourses will show you. If you do not have the correct time accommodation, please notify your GSI.

Discussions (20%)

Each week contains an assigned group discussion in which we ask you to write reflectively and critically about the discussion topic. Each student will be assigned to a 10-student discussion section in order to improve the quality of these asynchronous interactions. Students will  be asked to post about the weekly topic, then to react and respond to posts by other members of the section, and finally to repeat the process during the term with the same students. Your posts and

responses are considered your class participation and represent an opportunity for you to exchange views with your classmates, share experiences and resources, refine your descriptions of concepts and   arguments, and ensure your understanding of the course material. It is good preparation for the formal writing assignments.

Posts and responses should be brief but complete. Less is more, when it comes to the number of words. But also make sure you have fully described an idea.

If personal experiences are relevant, feel free to share them. Be careful not to disclose personal health information (PHI).

Discussion posts will be scored based on the following rubric:

3 points

Posts address the topic with reflection. Many responses build on previous posts and add to overall discussion. Student engages others in meaningful conversations.

2 points

Posts address the topic but consist mostly of a rote repetition of the study materials or previous posts. Little or no reflection on previous posts.

1 point

Minimal posts in number or length. Posts show little or no reflection on the topics or previous posts.

0 points

No posts

Although posts cannot be incorrect per se, they can be incomplete or insufficiently attached to the discussion. Plan to spend time on your posts; students cannot expect to earn full credit with last-minute remarks of poor quality.

While the weekly discussion assignments are asynchronous, you’ ll be expected to make an initial posting by 11:59pm Wednesday (Pacific  Time) and to respond to at least two students' postings by 11:59pm  Friday (Pacific Time).

Problem Set Assignments (15%)

In Weeks 1 through 3 and 6 through 8, students will complete problem set assignments based on analytical problems found in the textbook and including supplemental questions. In week 4, students will instead write a take-home midterm essay. In week 5, students will instead complete a take-home midterm exam that is similar in nature to the problem sets. (See below.)

Small groups of students (i.e., no more than 3 students together) may collaborate on problem sets. But each student must write up their results in their own words, and students must write down who was in their group.

Midterm Essay (15%)

Students will complete an original, take-home midterm essay. In the  essay, students will answer a question in health economics and policy using the analytical tools and perspectives they have learned in the first half of ECON 157. The midterm essay will be due by 11:59 PM on the Sunday at the end of week 4 of the term, which falls on July 16, 2023 in Summer C.

The midterm and final essay are open-book, open-note, and open- Internet (e.g. Wikipedia or journal articles, etc.). Calculators, spreadsheets, and statistical software are allowed. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. (See below.) Plagiarism on the Midterm Essay will result in a 50% point penalty and a warning. Plagiarism on the Final Essay will result in a 100% point penalty and a referral to the Center for Student Conduct.

For the midterm essay, students must not collaborate with current or former students or other people, and they must adhere to the University Honor Code at all times.

Midterm Exam (15%)

Students will complete a short take-home midterm exam during week 5 instead of the weekly assignment. The take-home exam is due by 11:59 PM on the Sunday at the end of week 5, which falls on July 23, 2023 in Summer C.

The midterm exam covers the content in weeks 1 through 5 and contains questions similar to the problem set assignments. The exam has no time limit.

The midterm and final essay are open-book, open-note, and open- Internet (e.g. Wikipedia or journal articles, etc.). Calculators, spreadsheets, and statistical software are allowed. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. (See below.)

For the midterm exam, students must not collaborate with current or former students or other people, and they must adhere to the University Honor Code at all times.

Final Essay (20%)

Students will complete an original, take-home final essay in lieu of an exam. In the essay, students will answer a question in health economics and policy using the analytical tools and perspectives they  have learned in ECON 157. The final essay will be due by 11:59 PM on the last Friday of the term, which falls on August 11, 2023 in Summer C.

The midterm and final essay are open-book, open-note, and open- Internet (e.g. Wikipedia or journal articles, etc.). Calculators, spreadsheets, and statistical software are allowed. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. (See below.) Plagiarism on the Final Essay will result in a 100% point penalty and a referral to the Center for Student Conduct.

For the final essay, students must not collaborate with current or former students or other people, and they must adhere to the University Honor Code at all times.

Grading

Each deliverable earns points. For each student, we will drop the lowest discussion score, the lowest quiz score, and the lowest problem set (“assignment”) score.

Your final course grade will be calculated as follows:

Table 1: Final Grade Percentages

Category	Percentage of Grade
Plagiarism Quiz	5%
Weekly Discussions (8)	20%
Weekly Quizzes (8)	10%
Assignments (5)	15%
Midterm Essay	15%
Midterm Exam	15%
Final Essay	20%

Course letter grades will be assigned based on the following intervals:

Table 2: Grade Intervals

Letter Grade	Percentage Interval
A+	96.7% to 100%
A	93.3% to 96.6%
A-	90% to 93.2%

B+	86.7% to 89.9%
B	83.3% to 86.6%
B-	80% to 83.2%
C+	76.7% to 79.9%
C	73.3% to 76.6%
C-	70% to 73.2%
D	60% to 69.9%
F	0% to 59%

Strategies for Successful Learning

Ask for Help, Early

If you find the course material difficult, please try to attend live office hours on Zoom. If you cannot make office hours, please email the instructor to arrange alternative arrangements. Above all, please reach out sooner rather than later. We can work something out only if we are all aware of the challenges.

View the Center for Teaching and Learning’s page on (meta)cognitive strategies for student learning to help you effectively study the material.

Take Care of Yourself

Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking time to recharge your mental health. Taking time to care for yourself, and avoiding academic burnout, will help you achieve your academic, professional, and personal goals.

If you start to feel overwhelmed, be kind to yourself and reach out for support. Remember that seeking help is a courageous thing to do—for yourself and for those who care about you.

Support Resources include emotional, physical, safety, social, and other basic wellbeing resources for students. Academic resources can be found at the Student Learning Center English Languageand Resource sites. Berkeley’s Office of Emergency Management has resources to prepare for emergencies.