Course

Health care is in the news every single day and directly impacts all of us. Learn about the four major economic components of the US health care system — health insurance, provider markets and organizations, payment methods, and biomedical innovation — and the incentives that drive behavior. We'll then step back to examine the policy and funding changes implemented by the Trump administration and their likely impacts on expenditures, care quality, patient access, innovation and cost.

Faculty Bio

James Robinson is the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Economics in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. He is also the Chair of the Berkeley Center for Health Technology, which supports research and professional education projects related to coverage, management, and payment methods for innovative technologies including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics. He is the author of three books and over 140 papers published in scientific and policy journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs.

This is an In-Person Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 365 (3rd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Sept. 15, and ends on Monday, Oct. 6
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 2 hours per session (10–noon)
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy in Member Dashboards through Dec. 31

Member Praise for James Robinson

OLLI aims to offer "the best of the best." James Robinson fits this bill. He is a brilliant policy analyst focused on areas of vital importance: health care and the life sciences upon which ever more efficacious health care relies. Plus Professor Robinson likes to teach, is good at it, and welcomes interaction with students.

Loved having an economist to listen to! The intersection between policy and real life was fascinating!