This course surveys the law and policy applicable to health care financing and delivery in the United States.  Students will learn how different areas of law (e.g., torts, contracts, antitrust, tax) develop when applied to the health care industry and will examine the legal, regulatory, and policy considerations that have shaped the relationships between providers (physicians and hospitals), payers (public and private), and patients.  We will consider implications of the policies of the 2010 health reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

This examination of legal problems encountered by an industry that accounts for 1/6 of the GDP and has direct relevance to many of our lives may appeal to students generally interested in public policy as well as those with specific interests in the health care field.  No prerequisites are required.