During our lifetimes, we all make healthcare decisions. Do you go to the doctor to get something checked out, or wait for it to get better? In Australia, you may choose between Medicare and private health insurance. These healthcare decisions are made on a personal level by weighing the costs and benefits.\n\nSo how are these decisions made? How do you measure the value of healthcare? Fundamentally, how do you put a dollar figure on a life?\n\nOn this episode, we\u2019re speaking with Richard De Abreu Lourenco, Associate Professor in Health Economics, about how we calculate the cost of life, and how these sorts of calculations figure in the way resources are allocated within our society.\n\n\nFurther Reading:\n\nThe Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme\n\nMedical Services Advisory Committee\n\nQuality Adjusted Life Years (QALY)