Health and law as services

Health and law as services
Stuart Birks Teachers’ Professional Development Day Palmerston North, 27 November 2009

Firms and markets in theory Generic approaches Limited number of characteristics Specialist areas identify their own peculiarities Standard economics ignores time and space Land economics focuses on location

heart Health and law Some alternative characteristics Infrequent purchasers Limited information about the services Principal-agent issues (“non-verifiability”)

alternative characteristics At initial purchase, unclear about total cost or end result Benefits may be unclear after purchase i.e. credence goods, cf search and experience goods

…and some more Government does not have full control over costs (capping? waiting lists? figurative and literal queues) Production involves several suppliers independently appointed and funded (privately and publicly)

…and some specific to law Participation may be on instructions of 2 or more parties who may be in conflict Purchase decision can be decided by one, then required by the other May have choice over own appointments, but not on the others involved

…and some specific to law (2) Limited scope to insure Limited redress in “legal misadventure” Outcome can depend on process (e.g. importance of time) Issues may be ongoing, law gives one-off decision

…and some specific to law (3) Law as policy – government has limited control on outcomes “Shadow of the law” Law changes can affect outcomes from past decisions Limited monitoring or formal economic evaluation of the services

Health and law as services
Stuart Birks Teachers’ Professional Development Day Palmerston North, 27 November 2009

Health and law as services