What Is Health Law?
Health law is a complex area of legal studies that deals with a wide variety of issues. Some key areas that fall under the category of health law include:
- Access to care: This can include insurance coverage, provider treatment of patients, public benefits, reimbursement for services, and other issues related to patients receiving appropriate health care.
- Public health: Included under the umbrella of public health are local, state, and federal regulation of areas such as health education and intervention, research, disease and injury prevention, cleanliness, epidemiology, and more.
- Provider issues: Providers include hospitals, private practices, public health organizations, and more. Issues range from employment and accreditation, to taxes, quality of care, privacy, and bioethical concerns.
- Antitrust law: Antitrust laws are concerned with cost, price-fixing, and similar issues.
- Pharmaceutical and medical device development and regulation: This includes approval of research, access to drugs and drug trials, bioethical concerns, and intellectual property issues.
- Food policy and regulation: Of concern are the issues of additives, labeling, and health standards, among other issues.
- Criminal law: This most often involves investigation of negligence and fraud.
- Medical malpractice: Malpractice law includes assignation of responsibility, blame, and compensation, as well as other issues.
- Constitutional law and civil rights: This area covers the issue of discrimination in medical care and practice.
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Options to Study Health Law
There are many graduate degree and certificate programs for those who want to pursue careers in health law. Aspiring lawyers already enrolled in Juris Doctor (J.D.) programs can elect to take concentration coursework in health law. There are also joint J.D. and Master of Public Health degree programs that include health law education. Practicing attorneys can pursue Master of Laws in Health Law (LL.M.) programs or graduate certificate programs in health law.
For non-lawyers, program options may include a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Health Law, a Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.) in Health Law, or a Master of Science in Jurisprudence. Graduate certificate programs and some degree programs are available online in part or in full.
Where Can You Find Health Law Jobs?
Because the umbrella of health law covers a broad segment of law practice, health law jobs can be found in different industries. Professionals can find work in public health law jobs, government positions, a law firm dedicated to health law, or a law firm as its health law specialist. Health law jobs also include in-house legal counsel for a hospital or other organization, nonprofit work, and policy development work.
Health Law Careers
Graduate programs in health law examine legal and ethical issues related to healthcare. These programs typically prepare students for careers as lawyers or healthcare administrators.
Lawyers
A lawyer can specialize in the practice of healthcare law. Health law attorneys write legal documents, perform legal research and represent individuals, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies in court. To work as a healthcare attorney, individuals need to be licensed in the state in which they practice.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in 2019, there were about 813,900 lawyers in all disciplines within the U.S. These professionals earned an average annual salary of $122,960 as of May 2019.
Healthcare Managers
Healthcare professionals, including nurses and physicians, could find that a master's degree program in health law can prepare them for positions in healthcare administration as nurse managers, compliance officers or clinical directors. According to the BLS, medical and health services managers made an average annual salary of $100,980 in May 2019. Jobs for these workers were predicted by the BLS to increase 32% from 2019 to 2029 - a faster than average rate - due to the continued growth of the healthcare industry.
Healthcare managers can be responsible for overseeing staff or ensuring a medical facility complies with health laws. Healthcare lawyers focus on cases involving healthcare issues. A master's degree in health law, a Juris Doctor with a specialization in health law and a Master of Laws in Health Law are among the options that can prepare professionals for health law careers by covering ethical and legal healthcare issues.
| Career Titles | Medical and Health Services Managers | Lawyers |
|---|---|---|
| Education Requirements | Bachelor's for entry-level, master's degree is common | Juris Doctor |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)* | 32% | 4% |
| Average Salary (2019)* | $100,980 | $122,960 |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
