The health care market is characterized by:a. extensive negative externalities, b. significant positive externalities. c. perfect knowledge by both buyers and sellers. d. a perfect inelastic demand.

Option b. significant positive externalities.

Explanation:

Externality is a concept used in economics.

Externalities are consequences of an economic activity that fall on a third party that does not directly participate in it; this is a person who is either the consumer or the producer of the good or service.

The impact of the externality on the third party may be beneficial or adverse. A beneficial externality is a positive externality; an adverse externality is a negative externality.

In the health care system the consumers are the patients and the producers are the physicians, nurses, hospitals, are related ones.

But many others have interest in the health care system: government, insurers, and persons who are not directly patients.

Two examples of important sources of externalities that I found in the internet are the vaccination and the research.

Regarding vaccination, the person who is vaccinated is not the only one who receives the benefit: the neighbors, the fellow workers, the community and the entire society are benefited by you and everyone who is vaccinated. This is a positive externality.

Regarding medical research, the benefit of a laboratory finding a new drug to cure a disease affects positively others.