Overview

This course examines the strategic challenges facing businesses in the U.S. healthcare industry. Using the lenses of business strategy, microeconomics, and health policy, students will identify and gain valuable insights into how healthcare businesses navigate complex market forces, regulatory pressures, and competitive dynamics. Cases will highlight how strategic principles can be leveraged to create opportunities in healthcare, and why some strategies are likely – or unlikely – to succeed. We will also examine the impact of government policies and regulations, both from a business standpoint and through the broader lens of societal implications.

Prominent government officials and business executives will contribute to select class sessions, complementing case discussions.

Educational Objectives:

The course aims to equip students with a strong understanding of the landscape of the US healthcare industry and key strategic challenges within it. Objectives include:

• Obtain insights into the complexities of the healthcare industry and the roles of key stakeholders
• Apply strategic frameworks to analyze business opportunities and competitive dynamics in healthcare markets
• Examine the impact of healthcare policies and regulations on firms as well as other stakeholders, including patients, employers, and taxpayers

The course will balance conceptual lectures with real-world applications, leveraging case studies, lectures, and discussions.

Career Focus:

This course is designed for a broad range of second-year students, including those pursuing careers in any U.S. healthcare-related sector as well as anyone interested in understanding why the industry is underperforming in terms of outcomes relative to costs, and what business strategies and public policies can drive improvement. Because healthcare is a major expense for U.S. employers and employees, future business leaders across industries will benefit from understanding its challenges and associated strategic considerations.

While the learnings are applicable to various countries and regulated industries, the discussions and institutional details emphasize the U.S. market, with limited discussion of international settings.

Course Content and Organization:

The course is structured around key topics in business strategy, such as industry analysis, strategic positioning, and decisions regarding the boundaries of the firm (e.g. mergers and acquisitions).

Each topic includes required readings, interactive lectures, and case discussions or examples. The course will blend conceptual insights with practical applications to develop a nuanced understanding of healthcare strategy.

Cases are selected to reflect important subsectors in the U.S. healthcare industry, including commercial insurers, health care delivery systems, and pharmaceuticals.

Grading / Course Administration:

Students will be evaluated based on the following components:

• Class participation, including polls (40%)
• Written individual assignment (20%) – format TBD
• Exam (40%) – timed, self-scheduled, open-note exam

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