GOVT 463 Health Care Law and Policy

This course examines key public policy and legal issues, trends and strategies related to the health care context. Students will also examine and articulate recommendations for policy in this context and identify future legal challenges and issues.

Health policies and laws are an inescapable and critical component of our everyday lives. The accessibility, cost, and quality of health care; the country’s preparedness for natural and human-caused disasters; the safety of the food, water, and medications we consume; the right to make individual decisions about one’s own health and well-being; and scores of other important issues are at the heart of health policy and law, and in turn at the heart of individual and community health and well-being. Health policies and laws have a strong and lasting effect on the quality of our lives as individuals and on our safety and health as a nation.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be at least 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. A minimum of two scholarly references are required. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words.

Essay Assignments (2)

The student will write two 3–4-page papers with 6 sources each discussing issues pertaining to Healthcare Policy. Essay: Affordable Care Act Assignment will examine the advantages and disadvantages and positives and negatives of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Essay: Health Disparities Assignment will compare and contrast Health and Healthcare Disparities, lead a scholarly discussion on actual disparities that exist today, and offer policy recommendations to help close some of the disparity gaps.

Research Paper: Topic, Thesis, and Outline Assignment

The student will select a topic, complete a thesis statement, and develop an outline for his or her Research Paper based on the topic selected.

Research Paper: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The student will complete an Annotated Bibliography of ten references that will be used in the completion of the Research Paper. Each annotation must be 150-200 words, and each bibliographic citation must be in proper current APA formatting.

Research Paper: Final Assignment

The student will prepare a 12-page Research Paper (not including title page, abstract, or references) on the topic of “Health Care Policy in the U.S.” The student must focus on the pros and cons of the U.S. Health Care system with respect to policy, access, delivery, and affordability. The student will discuss the central tenets of the Affordable Care Act, private insurance, and public health and how it contributes to a thriving health care system or the lack thereof. The student must integrate biblical precepts that provide a blueprint and/or standard for scripturally-based health care and corresponding quality.

Quizzes (2)

Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, and will contain 20 multiple-choice or true/false questions and one essay question. Each quiz has a 1-hour time limit.