Prerequisite: None

Exam Type: No Exam

This reading group will consider the past, present, and future of the law and policy that shapes U.S. healthcare. We will evaluate how and why our health system evolved into its current morass. We will examine the role that law currently plays in achieving three societal goals: increasing access, controlling costs, and assuring quality. We will consider paths forward in a political economy characterized by consolidation, financialization, and inequality. Along the way, we’ll take up debates at the heart of healthcare financing and delivery: how to define health, how to allocate risk and responsibility, and whether to rely on public commitment or private action. Materials will be diverse, including scholarly writing, popular media, and film. Students will gain a foundation in the complex and often conflicting laws and policies that govern U.S. healthcare.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: TBD.