This class will focus on a variety of subjects relating to the delivery of health care services, including patient safety and health care quality, regulation of health care providers, and the payment system. Readings will be of diverse types, including articles published in law reviews, medical journals, and other outlets; empirical studies; popular writings; and even news articles and blog columns. Because students are required to make in-class presentations and submit short papers, space is limited and attendance is required.
You will be required to read Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much For Health Care by Professor Silver and David Hyman, a professor at the Georgetown Law Center. Professor Silver receives no royalties on sales of the book, the price of which is extremely low. Americans are overcharged for health care, but students will not be overcharged for taking this course.
Disclosure:
In this class, we will debate issues of health care policy robustly. Students who have strong opinions on these issues, whether because of their religious faith, culture, personal experiences, or other reasons, are hereby informed that all beliefs may be challenged on all available grounds, including lack of scientific support, excessive cost, and immorality. Examples of practices that may be discussed, criticized, and debated openly in class include female genital mutilation, male circumcision, faith-based healing of children with treatable diseases, honor killings, abortion, prohibitions on contraception and sex outside of marriage, drug laws, policies requiring rape victims to marry their abusers, and mask and vaccine mandates. If you have strong beliefs on these or other health care matters that you do not wish to have questioned or criticized, you should not take this class.
Textbooks ( * denotes required )
Overcharged : Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care
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Hyman, David A., Silver, Charlie M., and Silver, Charles
Silver, Charles M 