Why Health Economics Matters More Than Ever
When we think of health innovation, we tend to focus on the product: diagnostic tools, new treatments, AI-enabled platforms. But for Abbas Al-Murrani, the founder of Health Economics Consulting (HEC), the real challenge lies in something else entirely, translating clinical innovation into real-world viability.
HEC works at the intersection of research, policy, and commercialisation — helping health tech companies, researchers, and clinicians assess and communicate the value of their innovations. From pricing strategies to funding pathways, the firm builds economic models that determine whether a new technology is worth adopting — for both patients and the healthcare system.
“We sit between the guys developing awesome tech, and the people deciding whether it’s worth funding. We help measure whether the clinical improvement is worth the cost and how to talk about that in a way decision makers understand. Just because you have a better treatment doesn’t mean the system can afford it — or understand its value.”
Their impact has already helped accelerate some remarkable innovations:
– Minimally invasive cardiac-implants, designed to treat structural heart defects and improve patient outcomes without open-heart surgery.
– A colorectal surgery device that allows post-op nutrients to be reinfused via a temporary stoma, improving recovery and patient outcomes.
– A wearable stomach sensor that works like an ECG for the gut — enabling faster, more accurate diagnosis of digestive disorders.
What makes HEC different is its commitment to building client capability. Rather than gatekeeping their expertise, Abbas and his team empower clients to use and adapt the tools themselves — so they can model scenarios, tweak assumptions, and prepare for different markets.
“We don’t just do the work for them. We teach them how to change the assumptions, update the data, and adjust for different markets. That way, they don’t need to come back to us every time.”
That same belief in growing capability is also what drives HEC’s long-running internship programme in partnership with the University of Auckland’s Bachelor of Health Sciences. Over 40 students have had the opportunity to apply theory in real-world projects, with many going on to join HEC as contractors.
“We train them, we see how they go, and then we bring the best ones on. They already know the process, so they hit the ground running.”
So what’s next for HEC?
Abbas is focused on building a secure, web-based platform to digitise the health economics process — replacing large, Excel models with tools that are intuitive, fast, and accessible for clients anywhere.
“There hasn’t been much innovation in the health economics space. The tech we’re building will make it easier for founders and researchers to run economic models — securely and in real time.”
That vision — to make health economics more transparent, scalable and impactful — is what’s guiding the next decade of growth. Abbas’s work may be behind the scenes, but its impact is profound. By helping ensure the right health technologies get funded and scaled, HEC is making sure what’s good for patients also makes sense for the systems that care for them.