Health Law and Regulation (Ruger)
Faculty
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| Theodore Ruger Dean Emeritus and John H. Chestnut Professor of Law truger@law.upenn.edu |
Additional Information
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Expository Writing
Grading
5% Participation,
95% Other (As noted above, my intention is to offer an option between an exam that would comprise at least 90% of the final grade, and a 25-30 page research paper that would comprise at least 90% of the final grade. If more students enroll in the course than will enable me to meaningfully assist and advise on the individual papers, I will convert the course to a required final exam for everyone. The instructor will notify students of this decision during or before the first week of classes.)
Exam
Essay,
In Class,
Open-Book
With Permission of Instructor
See above for intention to offer a paper option, subject to revision if the course enrollment is too large.
Class meets in person.
Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.
I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:
- Class sessions are regularly recorded. I will make these recordings routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
- Class sessions are regularly recorded. If you are absent due to illness or some other unavoidable circumstance, email me and I can send you an email with instructions for accessing the recording for the class session(s) you missed.
- I will make PowerPoint slides or other class materials routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
Meeting Times/Location
TR 9:00AM - 10:20AM
Silverman Hall 240A
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
3.0
This course will provide a general introduction to the history, law, policy, politics, and economics of health care delivery and financing in the United States. Students will gain an understanding of the legal and policy considerations that have shaped the relationships between providers (e.g., physicians and hospitals), payers (public and private insurers), and patients. We will examine how areas of law (e.g., torts, contracts, antitrust, tax) develop in unique ways when applied to the health care industry. The course will cover selected aspects of the Affordable Care Act, COVID-related regulation, and new health laws, regulations, and restructuring under the Trump Administration.
The readings for the course will be contained in a casebook (details below -- although please note that prior editions of this casebook will probably "work" if students have the opportunity to acquire or use those at less cost than the Tenth Edition) as well as supplemental cases and articles on the course portal.
It is likely that the course will give students a choice between a timed final exam, and a research/doctrinal/policy paper of about 25-30 pages, as the basis of evaluation. The existence of that option is dependent on the course enrollment not being too large, and the instructor will clarify the specific evaluation method(s) before or during the first week of class in Fall 2026.
Health Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of health law and policy; Perform legal analysis in the context of health law and policy; Communicate effectively on topics related to health law and policy; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection among health law and policy and issues of access to services, public and private financing of health industries, and the political and economic issues surrounding issues of health law and health services.
Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.
Public Interest Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of public interest law; Perform legal analysis in the context of public interest law; Communicate effectively on topics related to public interest law; Demonstrate an understanding of how public interest law is connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.
Textbooks
"Health Care Law and Ethics" by Mark A. Hall, Mary Anne Bobinski , David Orentlicher, I. Glenn Cohen, Nicholas Bagl |