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Students

ECON3018 – Health Economics

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kompal Sinha
kompal.sinha@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
120cp at 1000 level or above including (ECON1020 or MQBS1030 or ECON2003)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the economics behind the growing health sector in Australia and other advanced economies. It helps students to understand issues such as the unique characteristics of the health care market, pricing by doctors and hospitals, and the mix of public and private funding and insurance. Topics can include the economics of health care (demand and supply, market imperfections including market failure and resulting resource allocation), the behaviour of agents (hospitals, physicians and private health insurers), health care systems globally and in Australia, equity and ethics in health resource allocation, and the health of Australia’s indigenous population.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply theoretical microeconomics to health economics.
  • ULO2: Identify and analyse the role of health economics in understanding health systems and how different solutions affect different stakeholders.
  • ULO3: Analyse the unusual features of markets for health care compared with markets for other goods and services.
  • ULO4: Effectively communicate, individually and as a group, knowledge of health economics in technical and non-technical language.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Skills development: Knowledge quiz 30% No Week 7(20th April 2026) Individual No Observed
Professional practice: Health policy brief 40% No Week 13 (1st June 2026) Individual and Group No Open AI
Formal examination 30% No Exam Period Individual No Observed

Skills development: Knowledge quiz

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 7(20th April 2026)
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop and practice applying your understanding of key economic concepts, including market efficiency, health care financing, and policy evaluation.

 

You will be given a knowledge quiz in mid-session that includes material covered in the weeks prior.

 

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge

Deliverable(s): Quiz

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply theoretical microeconomics to health economics.
  • Analyse the unusual features of markets for health care compared with markets for other goods and services.

Professional practice: Health policy brief

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13 (1st June 2026)
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise in the application of knowledge to a current health issue.

 

You are required to work in groups to prepare a white paper for policy makers on a topic assigned to you in Week 3.

 

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Communication skills
  • Digital skills
  • Work readiness
  • Global, ethical and environmental citizenship 
  • Discipline knowledge 

Deliverable(s): Written Report [max 4500 words]

 

Group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the role of health economics in understanding health systems and how different solutions affect different stakeholders.
  • Effectively communicate, individually and as a group, knowledge of health economics in technical and non-technical language.

Formal examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise you have gained in this unit.

You will participate in a 2-hour, on campus, closed-book exam held during the University Examination period.

Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips

Deliverable(s): Formal exam

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply theoretical microeconomics to health economics.
  • Analyse the unusual features of markets for health care compared with markets for other goods and services.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

References

  • Folland, S., Goodman, A.C. and Stano, M., (2016). The economics of health and health care (Vol. 6). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
  • Henderson, J. W. (2005). Health economics and policy (p. 473). Thomson/South-Western.
  • Drummond, M., B. O’Brien, G. Stoddart & G. Torrance (1997), “Basic types of economic evaluation”,  in Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, Oxford University Press.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.05 of the Handbook