Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Health Services/legislation & jurisprudence , Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Liability, Legal , Disease Outbreaks/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Influenza, Human/prevention & control , Long-Term Care , Medical Staff, Hospital , United StatesABSTRACT
The year preceding June 30, 2004, was one of the most active periods in the development of health policy and health law in a generation. Against the odds, President Bush delivered on his promise of a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. As with all momentous legislation, the prescription drug benefit was accompanied by legislative changes both large and small, affecting virtually every sector of the healthcare community. In addition to new legislation, the Bush administration continued to release regulations deemed vitally important by those regulated. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations pursued new standards and processes to improve patient safety, and the courts dealt with a myriad of health law issues.
Subject(s)
Health Policy/legislation & jurisprudence , Abortion, Legal , Antitrust Laws , Confidentiality/legislation & jurisprudence , Employee Retirement Income Security Act , Health Policy/trends , Hospital-Physician Joint Ventures/legislation & jurisprudence , Hospitals, Special/legislation & jurisprudence , Medically Uninsured/legislation & jurisprudence , Medicare/legislation & jurisprudence , Patient Credit and Collection/legislation & jurisprudence , Patient Transfer/legislation & jurisprudence , Physician Self-Referral/legislation & jurisprudence , Professional Practice/legislation & jurisprudence , United StatesABSTRACT
Every year, the Practice Groups of the American Health Lawyers Association assemble a Year in Review summary of the leading developments in case law, legislation, and administrative actions affecting healthcare. This Article provides a comprehensive overview of these developments. The introduction presents a "Top Ten" list of the year's most noteworthy developments. The remainder of the Article is divided into fourteen topical areas, and offers a brief overview of issues in those areas. Overall, these various developments demonstrate society's efforts to balance accountability, efficiency, and affordability in the delivery of healthcare.
