Online Course for High School Students
U.S. Healthcare: Politics, Problems, and Possibilities
Learn the inner workings of U.S. healthcare
If you ask your parents to describe healthcare when they were growing up, chances are it was a lot different than it is today. And since the birth of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare has changed even more. In this course, you will learn the history of how the U.S. system works and the turning points that influenced change. Get an in-depth look at the types of insurance available: employer-sponsored, Medicare, Medicaid, private plans and the ACA. You’ll also discover the difficult politics of reform and why healthcare is a flashpoint in our culture. You’ll write short essays, hear from industry experts and even design a plan of your own.
Program Dates
Multiple 2- and 4-week sessions
Eligibility
For students ages 13+
Fees
$1295
Understand the U.S. healthcare system: history, struggles, reforms, possibilities
Learn the history of U.S. healthcare and how the system works
What turning points molded our healthcare system? How does insurance work? What is a co-pay, deductible and premium? How do these features set us apart from other nations?
Discover the causes behind employer-sponsored health insurance
How did history influence the dominance of this insurance-type? Who wins and who loses? Interview someone you know who holds this type of insurance.
Understand the politics behind Medicare and Medicaid
What is the difference between these two programs? What pressures do they face and how have they changed? Has Medicaid succeeded in providing insurance for low-income families?
Dig into the complexities of healthcare reform
Why is reforming healthcare so politically challenging? What groups are for and against reform? What reforms have failed? What are HMOs, PPOs and managed care?
Gain insight into how the Affordable Care Act works
Explore the history and politics behind the ACA. What aspects make it so controversial? What are “pre-existing conditions"? Why did this legislation make a point to cover them?
Prepare for a career in the field
This course offers a good background for potential careers in fields related to medicine, healthcare administration, social work, insurance, and not-for-profit advocacy.
Skills you will gain from this course
- Gain a thorough knowledge of U.S. Healthcare
- Gain insight into the key political issues and controversies
- Understand the types of coverage favored by different social groups
- Acquire the ability to argue your viewpoint for healthcare reforms
- Develop your presentation and communication skill
- An excellent course if you thinking about going into medicine
3 Learning advantages designed for you
1. Final Capstone Project
The course culminates with a special Capstone project that allows you to:
- Demonstrate what you’ve learned in this course
- Get feedback from Rochester mentors on your work
- Use your knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system to create and advocate for your own reformed plan
2. Mentoring
You’ll receive guidance from a Rochester mentor who can support you and answer questions as you deepen your learning experience. You can expect:
- Encouragement and direction on all assignments
- Inspiration, motivation and confidence to help you succeed
- Brainstorming to help as you prepare for your final project
3. Flexible Learning
- 100% online — works with your schedule
- 20-25 hours of total instruction and course work, including engaging multimedia, simulations, and curated assignments for which you will receive guidance and support
- Asynchronous: you’ll learn through engaging videos. Tune in anytime that works for you.
- Regular live group online sessions with a Rochester Mentor
- Meet fellow students from around the world
Apply now for the next available course
Hear from the University of Rochester
Hear from our students
Carolina, U.S. Healthcare student from Spain"This course does not really feel like a class you take in high school. It is super engaging and has you explain your own personal opinions on healthcare and the politics surrounding it. The assignments are well detailed and rarely feel like a chore. It really helps you get insight on what a career in healthcare would be like, and you get to learn about the inner workings of such a complex system."
Anthony, U.S. Healthcare student from China"I would recommend this course because it covers the issues of U.S. healthcare in depth. It doesn’t only cover the history of U.S. healthcare, but it also emphasises many factors of why healthcare is not easy to reform, introduces what healthcare is, and includes various useful case studies to learn about healthcare reform in preparation for the final project."
Course designed by:
Mical Raz MD, PHD, MSHP
Mical Raz, MD, PhD, MSHP, is the Charles E. and Dale L. Phelps Professor in Public Policy and Health, and an associate professor of history and clinical medicine at the University of Rochester. She completed her medical training at Tel Aviv University, from where she also received a PhD in history of medicine. Before moving to the U.S. for a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale, she worked at the Tel Aviv Medical Center and volunteered with Physicians for Human Rights. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital in 2015, followed by a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a practicing hospitalist at URMC at Strong Memorial Hospital, and is board certified in internal medicine.
She is the author of The Lobotomy Letters: The Making of American Psychosurgery (University of Rochester 2013), which was awarded the Pressman-Burroughs Welcome Career Development Award. Her second book, What's Wrong with the Poor? Race, Psychiatry and the War on Poverty (UNC 2013), was a 2015 Choice Outstanding Academic Title.
Course Mentors
Jordie
Undergraduate student at the University of Rochester studying Public Health, Spanish, Social and Emotional Development, and Education.
Emma
University of Rochester graduate with a degree in Bioethics (Public Health) and a minor in Legal Studies.
Michael
University of Rochester graduate with a degree in Biology and Public Health. He's currently an MD/PhD candidate studying the history of medicine.
Nolan
University of Rochester graduate with a degree in Public Health, focusing on Health Public Policy, and a degree in Nursing. He currently works as an Emergency Medical Technician.
Victoria
Undergraduate student at the University of Rochester completing a fifth year fellowship after pursuing a degree in economics with a minor in psychology. She's an active member of AEI Executive Council, an organization on campus which promotes student discourse surrounding policy issues.
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