LAW 626 Health Insurance and Reform: Normative, Empirical and Policy Perspectives

Course Description

This seminar examines contemporary scholarship on health reform.  The seminar will provide a framework from which to understand and evaluate the ethical, empirical and legal implications of modern efforts at health reform.  As does the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, this class will primarily focus on issues of health insurance and financing and will secondarily address issues of health care delivery.  No prior knowledge of U.S. health care systems or health law is required.
The seminar is divided into three units. We will begin by discussing competing normative perspectives on what health reform should accomplish and what role is appropriate for the government vs. private markets in allocating access to health care.  Second, we will examine the pre-reform picture of public and private insurance in the United States and the implications for insurance coverage, access to care, and costs of care for Americans. As part of Unit Two, we will review contemporary scholarship on disparities in access to health care in the U.S. and on the link between medical crises and economic insecurity, both of which shaped the national health care reform debate.  Finally, we will analyze selected discreet policies from the 2010 reform and debate their merit.  This final unit will explore the new roles carved out for states and the federal government post-reform.
No prior knowledge of U.S. health care systems or health law is required.