Reference no: EM131376458

The market for health care services can be examined using the tools of supply and demand. In this market, the quantity variable is hours of health care services. Consumers' demand health care services while doctors (or others) supply health care services. We will assume health care services are all of the same quality (so 1 hour of heath care service A is the same as 1 hour of health care service B). The market price is the price per hour of health care services (dollars per hour). Given this, suppose a law mandates that doctors cannot charge a price higher than P_max, where this maximum price is set below the free market equilibrium price in this market. What will be the effect this law on the quantity demanded, quantity supplied and price paid for health care services? Who benefits and who loses from imposing this maximum price that sellers can charge/receive for health care services? (Note: given the price actually paid by consumers for health care must equate supply and demand. This price can include both monetary forms of payment and non-monetary forms of payment; in this example, what forms might such non-monetary payments take? That is, if health care must be "rationed" among consumers).