This week we talked to Professor Mary Crossley of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Professor Crossley’s research has focused on issues of inequality in the financing and delivery of health care, encompassing topics ranging from an exploration of potential legal remedies for physician bias in medical treatment, to an examination of how recent trends in health insurance coverage function to discriminate against unhealthy people.
We focused on the “community benefit standard” for federal nonprofit status for hospitals. The ACA has imposed new requirements in this domain, including a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). CHNA’s might spur hospitals to do more to address health disparities and improve quality. But what? And how?
In our lightning round, we discussed four recent developments in health law, including a final rule issued by HHS with respect to HIPAA law enforcement exceptions related to reporting of “mental health prohibitors” for gun ownership to background check database; Changes to meaningful use in legislation introduced by Rob Portman; Charles Ornstein’s great work at ProPublica on HIPAA violations, and how massive health care bills still dog even insured patients;
The Week in Health Law Podcast from Frank Pasquale and Nicolas Terry is a commuting-length discussion about some of the more thorny issues in Health Law & Policy. Subscribe at iTunes, listen at Stitcher Radio, Tunein and Podbean, or search for The Week in Health Law in your favorite podcast app. Show notes and more are at TWIHL.com. If you have comments, an idea for a show or a topic to discuss you can find us on twitter @nicolasterry @FrankPasquale @WeekInHealthLaw