Health Law, Policy and Comparative Health Systems Overview

This course combines an introduction to health law and policy with a comparative analysis of health systems in several high-income and middle-income countries. The goal of this course is to provide an outline of the ways that health law frames and guides the health system in the United States. It includes an analysis of some of the strategies for using legal levers to influence the health system to achieve public policy goals that include expanding coverage, reducing costs, or improving the quality of health care. The comparative analysis of health systems provides the opportunity for students to develop a dynamic analysis of the functioning of the health system in the United States. A comparative analysis of health systems in several other countries addresses questions of how the dynamic interactions between stakeholders enable those health systems to move close to achieving the full set of goals embedded in Universal Health Coverage. This analysis will open space for asking new questions concerning the functioning of the health system in the United States. This will, in turn, enable a deeper analysis of the processes by which health law creates a framework for the health system and of the strategies available to policymakers for influencing the outcomes produced by the health system. This course is offered in an online, asynchronous format, with 6 (six) to be announced synchronous sessions from noon – 1pm ET. There will be 3 synchronous sessions in June and 3 synchronous sessions in July.