What Macroeconomists Should Know About Health Care Policy

Why exactly should macroeconomists be concerned with issues of health policy? This study explains and elaborates on the essential information that a macroeconomist should know in providing inputs to discussions on health sector policy. The primer illustrates how these issues and the range of appropriate policy options may differ depending on an economy's state of development and the particular approach taken by a country in structuring its health system. The authors also provide guidance on the appropriate roles for the state and market in health care financing and provision, taking into account the various sources of market failure in the health sector.