Legal Dictionary: Health & Health Care Law

DEFINITION

• Health Care Law has developed through federal and state legislation and case law to provide legal guidelines for the provision of healthcare services and healthcare benefits. It has also developed to address special issues relating to certain patient populations -- including the elderly and the disabled.

• Different types of health benefits offer financial assistance for general living expenses and healthcare benefits for the disabled or financially needy. These benefits -- which include Social Security disability benefits, Medicare and Medicaid -- present a host of complex issues. The laws and regulations relating to benefit entitlement, amount of benefits and types of services covered are complex.

• Healthcare issues also arise in the context of special populations. Elderly people often seek legal guidance to prepare for long-term care, to ensure their final medical wishes are implemented through a living will or to have their rights as patients protected.

• Disabled people or mentally ill people face issues regarding accessibility of healthcare services, their rights as patients and their rights to control or refuse healthcare treatment.

• Health law and healthcare law involves many facets of state and federal law, including torts, contracts, antitrust and insurance.

FIND A HEALTH CARE LAW ATTORNEY IN YOUR AREA.

Learn more about HEALTH CARE AND THE LAW.

OTHER BUZZWORDS

• Euthanasia
• Living Will
• Patients' Rights
• SSDI

For more definitions, visit the FindLaw Legal Dictionary.

RELATED PRACTICE AREAS

Insurance Law
Social Security --Disability
Elder Law