Health law

Health law is a field of law that encompasses federal, state, and local law, rules, regulations and other jurisprudence among providers, payers and vendors to the health care industry and its patients; and delivery of health care services; all with an emphasis on operations, regulatory and transactional legal issues.

Overview

The practice of health law includes representations of hospitals, physician groups, managed care organizations, and other health care networks and providers. Health law attorneys also represent patients and individual health care providers. The federal statutes applicable to health law are numerous and include the Public Health Service Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Health Law in the United States

In the United States, health law is primarily regulated by the federal government, but states also have much oversight over certain aspects of the health care system. The federal government primarily regulates the quality of care in Medicare and Medicaid programs, the conditions of participation in these programs, and the implementation of privacy and confidentiality rules under HIPAA.

Health Law and Ethics

Health law and ethics is a field of study that focuses on the legal and ethical issues related to health care. This includes issues such as patient rights, health care access, and the balance between individual rights and public health concerns.

See Also

• Public Health Law
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• Medicare
• Medicaid