Track #3: Health Law Strategy and Policy
This track will expose students to basic legal and financial concepts as they relate to healthcare and to the developing legal and regulatory trends that impact the current delivery of healthcare. In addition students will learn about how changing demographics, technology and reimbursement will influence the delivery of healthcare in the future and how the systems of care currently in place will need to adapt to accommodate those changes.
Why This Is Important
Health care continues to be one of the fastest growing line items in the federal budget and is slated for reform regardless of the political party that prevails in our next presidential election. With the changing demographics brought on by the aging of the baby boom generation, the health care system will be stressed beyond its current capacity. Also, with the aging of the current healthcare work force coupled with already existing shortage of key health care providers, experts already predict that we are facing a perfect storm.
Career Opportunities
This track would be excellent preparation for individuals seeking a career in healthcare administration, finance, policy or advocacy. Clinicians and consumers might also be interested in this track as a general overview of current issues and challenges and as a glimpse of how health care delivery will change into the future and to how to best prepare for these changes.
Required Courses (see program structure for sequence)
Elective Courses (must take 4)
- Law and Bioethics
- Health Care Contracts
- Introduction to Elder Law
- Any of the elective courses from other tracks
Course requirements and electives are subject to change.
Structure of Program
Year 1
Term 1
Introduction to Legal Study and Legal Writing [4 credits]
Term 2
Introduction to Legal Research [1 credit]
Introduction to Health Law and Policy [3 credits]
Term 3
Health Care Business and Finance [2 credits]
Health Regulation and Policy [2 credits]
Post Term 3
Education Immersion Weekend [in Chicago]
Year 2
Term 4
Elective #1 [2 credits]
Elective #2 [2 credits]
Term 5
Elective #3 [2 credits]
Elective #4 [2 credits]
Term 6
Thesis Project [4 credits]
Post Term 6
Thesis Immersion Weekend [in Chicago]
