Health Care Politics and Policy

Catalog description

This seminar will explore the interplay between politics and policy in the American health care system. Why has the United States struggled to achieve universal health insurance? How well does the US health care system reflect the values of its citizens? Does the United States spend too much on health care—or too little? Topics include: health equity and disparities; the strengths and weaknesses of the US response to COVID; the political battle over the Affordable Care Act; the politics of Medicare and Medicaid; public opinion on health issues; health care spending, cost control and the quality of care; cannabis legalization; climate change and health impacts; the political power of doctors, drug companies, and other medical interest groups; and international health systems and the differences between those systems and the American approach.