Economic history and the economics of health and medical care front matter pages 1 1 pdf the economic history of medical care r m hartwell pages 3 20 economic history and health care in industrialized nations mark perlman. The economics of healthcare a ll of us would like to lead long healthy lives and given the choice we would prefer to do so without ever having to endure the surgeons scalpel the nurses needle or the dentists drill yet good health rarely comes so easily achieving a long healthy life often requires the input of scarce resources and that makes it at least in part an economic . Economics of health and medical care is an introduction to population based health economics as well as the traditional market oriented approach to health care economics the book examines economics through the lens of descriptive explanatory and evaluative economics the seventh edition is an extensive revision that reflects the vast changes that have been occurring in the health care . Many important forces shaping health and health care have more to do with economics and social policy than with any particular medical treatment or procedure dartmouth institute professor and economist ellen meara takes a closer look 1 economic opportunity motivates and enables people to invest in their health its absence does the reverse following a four fold increase in prescription