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Health Law Research Guide

Introduction

This research guide is designed to provide an introduction to U.S. health law research in the Georgetown Law Library. It includes select legal and policy resources on various aspects of health law. Members of the Georgetown University Community may seek additional assistance at the reference desk or online.

Other research guides from the Georgetown Law Library that may be of interest include the following:

Getting Started

The following sources provide good introductions to and overviews of health law.

  • Health Law (KF3821 .H4343 2000)
    One volume hornbook summarizing basic principles of health law from regulation of health care institutions to end-of-life decisions. Also available as an expanded, two-volume practitioner treatise (KF3821 .H434 2000).

  • Fundamentals of Health Law (KF3821 .H37 2008)
    An introduction to the basic issues of health law from the American Health Lawyers Association.

  • Treatise on Health Care Law (LexisNexis: Treatise on Health Care Law) (Print: KF3821 .T74 1991, no longer updated in print)
    Four volume comprehensive, definitive treatise on a range of health care law issues.

Primary Law Sources

Case Law

Full-text Case Law Databases
The following databases contain health care law-related court opinions.

West Topic and Key Number System and LexisNexis Topics
Case law on health care issues can also be located using the West Topic and Key Number system in Westlaw and in print West Digests and LexisNexis Topics in LexisNexis. For more information on case law research generally and finding case law by topic, see our Case Law Research Tutorial.

Newsletters, Looseleaf Services, and Other Current Awareness Sources
Summaries and analysis of recent case law is often included in newsletters, looseleaf services, and other current awareness sources, such as blogs. See below for more information.

Statutes

Federal Statutes
  • Lexis: USCS - Health - Titles 15, 21, 24, and 42 (Commerce and Trade, Food and Drugs, Hospitals and Asylums, and Public Health and Welfare)

  • Westlaw: FHTH-USCA (Statutes "that relate to the provision of wellness services and regulation of health care institutions")

  • Health Care Law Sourcebook (LexisNexis)
    Federal laws, regulations, and documents relating to health care
State Statutes
  • Statutes Databases:
  • Fifty State Surveys
    • Major Health Care Policies: Fifty State Profiles (Print: RA413.5.U5 H43, 1998-2005) (Electronic: Westlaw, 2005 ed.)
      Annual publication providing a state-by-state update on legislation impacting major health care issues, such as Medicaid, long-term care, and public health.
    • State by State Guide to Managed Care Law (KF3825 .S72, 1999 - )
      Key court decisions, state managed care policies and practices, and codes and regulations regarding managed care organizations.
    • National Survey of State Laws (KF386 .N38)
      Provides charts containing state laws on variety of topics. Health law topics include abortion, medical records, and the right to die.
    • Subject Compilation of State Laws (Print: KF1 .F67, 1960 to present) (Electronic: HeinOnline, 1979 to present)
      An annotated bibliography listing journal articles or other publications that survey state laws on various topics, including health and medicine.
    • Westlaw: SURVEYS
      Fifty state surveys on over fifty health topics. The currency varies by topic.
    • LexisNexis: LexisNexis 50 State Surveys, Legislation & Regulations
      Fifty state surveys on over fifty health topics. The currency varies by topic. Data presented in downloadable Excel spreadsheets.
Legislative Histories

Compiled legislative histories may be available for important federal health-related laws. The following sources will provide information on available compilations:

For more information on researching legislative history, see our extensive Legislative History Research Guide.

Newsletters, Looseleaf Services, and Other Current Awareness Sources
Summaries and analysis of proposed and recent legislation on health law and policy is often included in newsletters, looseleaf services, and other current awareness sources, such as blogs. See below for more information.

For more information on researching statutes generally, see our Statutes Research Guide or our Statutory Research Tutorial.

Regulations

Federal Regulations
State Regulations

Newsletters, Looseleaf Services, and Other Current Awareness Sources
Summaries and analysis of proposed and new regulations on health law and policy is often included in newsletters, looseleaf services, and other current awareness sources, such as blogs. See below for more information.

For more information on administrative law research, see our Administrative Law Research Guide.

Secondary Sources

Treatises

These are books in which an expert author (or several) seeks to give an overview of the topic. Treatises are a good place to start to get background information and find references to primary sources.

  • Fundamentals of Health Law (KF3821 .H37 2008)
    An introduction to the basic issues of health law from the American Health Lawyers Association.

  • Health Law (KF3821 .H4343 2000)
    One volume hornbook summarizing basic principles of health law from regulation of health care institutions to end-of-life decisions. Also available as an expanded, two-volume practitioner treatise (KF3821 .H434 2000).

  • Healthcare Law and Ethics in a Nutshell (KF3821 Z9 H35 1999)
    A very basic overview of the field of health care law.

  • Problems in Health Care Law (KF3825 .M53 2006)
    An overview of the health care system covering health care financing, liability, health care resources, and issues surrounding reproduction and death.

  • Treatise on Health Care Law (Print: KF3821 .T74 1991, no longer updated in print) (Electronic: LexisNexis)
    Four volume comprehensive, definitive treatise on a range of health care law issues.

  • Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration (KF3821 .P69 2007)
    Although designed primarily as a handbook for healthcare administrators, this work offers lawyers a useful overview of the various areas of law which are important in counseling healthcare administrators, including torts, civil procedure, professional and corporate liability issues, consent, and AIDS. This book can provide lawyers with background on the complexities of health care administration and the responsibilities of healthcare professionals.

Casebooks

A casebook is a textbook for a law school course. It often contains extensive excerpts from important cases, relevant statutes, journal articles, and other secondary sources as well as commentary from the casebook author. For research purposes, a casebook can be used to get a general overview of the law and a sense of the most important issues in the field. To build on information located in a casebook, use a citator (Shepard's on LexisNexis or KeyCite on Westlaw) or search for other books or articles written by excerpted authors.

  • American Health Law (KF3821 A7 A46 1990)
    Covers access, health care financing, medical technology, quality of care, patients' rights, medical personnel, organ transplants, and reproductive health services.

  • Law, Science and Medicine (KF3821. A7 L39 2005)
    Casebook which also covers science and technology issues.

  • Health Law: Cases, Materials and Problems (KF3821.A7 H43 2008)
    Lengthy casebook divided into five major sections: introduction to the health system, how law helps promote quality care, access and costs, law and health care organizations, and human rights in the health system.

  • The Law of Health Care Organization and Finance (KF3821.A7 L385 2008)
    Casebook focusing on health administration issues.

  • Law of Health Care Finance and Regulation (KF3825.A7 H35 2005)
    Covers institutional liability, health care financing and reform, and regulation of health care facilities and transactions.

  • Health Care Law and Policy (KF3821. A7 H38 1998)
    Casebook focusing on policy issues.

  • Law and the American Health Care System (KF3821. A7 R67 1997)
    Covers access, financing and organization, quality of care, long term care, HIV, and reproductive health services.

  • Health Care Law and Ethics (KF3821 .A7 C8 2003)
    Casebook covering topics such as medical malpractice, health care financing and regulation, and public health law.

  • Law, Medicine, and Medical Technology (KF3821.A7 N63 2007)
    Focuses on the regulation of medical technology and is comprised of three parts: government regulation, tort liability, and economics and innovation.

To find other relevant books, search on GULLiver by keyword or by subject heading. See below for a list of relevant subject headings as well as call number ranges in which a number health law materials will be shelved.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Medical and health science dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for understanding medical terminology and obtaining general background information on a subject.

Dictionaries
  • Attorney's Illustrated Medical Dictionary ( R121 .T182 2002)

  • Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary (on Medline Plus)

  • Stedman's Medical Dictionary (28th ed.) (R121 .S8)
    Also available on Westlaw (STEDMANS, 27th ed.)

  • PDR Medical Dictionary (R121 .P37)
    A good general work.

  • Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (R121 .D73 2003)
    A well-respected, standard dictionary.

  • The Sloane-Dorland Annotated Medical-Legal Dictionary (RA1017. S56 1987)
    Lawyer's version of Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Readable and complete definitions of medical terms, plus annotations to relevant court opinions and briefs. Includes some illustrations.

  • Concise Medical Dictionary (7th ed.)
    Available through Oxford Reference Online

  • Attorney's Dictionary of Medicine (KF3821 .G7, no longer updated in print)
    Five volume set contains over 57,000 definitions and 7,000 illustrations and is useful for correlating medical terminology with lay words. Also available on LexisNexis: Attorneys' Dictionary of Medicine.

  • Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (17th ed.) (R121 .T18 1993)
    Available online through Stat!Ref (21st ed.)

  • Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (38th ed.) (QM23.2 .G73 1995)
    Also available free online through Bartelby.com (20th ed.)

  • MedTerms (from Medicinenet.com)
    Over 16,000 medical terms defined in easy-to-understand language

  • MediLexicon (formerly Pharma-Lexicon)
    Includes a dictionary of "over 200,000 medical, biotech, pharmaceutical and healthcare acronyms and abbreviations" and a online version of Stedman's Medical Dictionary as well as other resources.
Encyclopedias

Academic Journals

Health Law Journals

The following is a select list of academic health law journals. To find additional journals and articles on health law, see Law Journal Databases and Health/Medical Journal Databases below.

  • DePaul Journal of Health Care Law (1996 - ) (K4 .E5905)
    Also available online (1996 - )

  • Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy (2001 - ) (K8 .O695)
    Also available online (2001 - )

  • Indiana Health Law Review (2004 - ) (K9 .N199)
    Also available online (2004 - )

  • Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy (1985 - ) (K10 .O2816)
    Also available online (1985 - )

  • Journal of Health & Biomedical Law (2004 - ) (K10 .O3883)
    Also available online (2004 - )

  • Journal of Health Care Law and Policy (1998 - ) (K10 .O3895)
    Also available online (1998 - )

  • Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law (1976 - ) (K10 .O39)
    Also available online (1976 - )

  • Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law and Policy (2007 - ) (K23 .A255)
    Also available online (2007 - )

  • Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law and Ethics (2001 - ) (K29 .A298)
    Also available online (2001 - )

  • Quinnipiac Health Law Journal (1996 - ) (K17 .U682)
    Also available online (1996 - )

  • Journal of Medicine and Law (1997 - ) (K10 .O8823)
    Also available online (1997 - )

  • American Journal of Law and Medicine (1975 - ) (K1 .M49)
    Also available online (1975 - )

  • Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics (1973 - ) (K10 .O5245)
    Also available online (1973 - )
Law Journal Databases
  • LexisNexis and Westlaw

    • LexisNexis and Westlaw contain full text for many law reviews and journals. Coverage varies by journal, but in general, they contain articles starting from the late 1980s/early 1990s.

    • Journal articles on health law are available in a number of databases in LexisNexis or Westlaw. Three options are as follows:
  • Law Journal Indexes

    • Because LexisNexis and Westlaw do not contain articles from all law reviews and journals and they only contain more recent articles, it is important to search other databases as well, especially legal indexes. The law library subscribes to a number of legal indexes, which contain citations to articles in over a thousand legal journals published as early as as the 1920s.

    • Indexes
    • If the full text of the article is not available in a particular index/database, click on the link "Full Text @ GU Law" to find an electronic version of the article, if available, or "GULLiver @ GU Law" to search the catalog for the library's print and electronic journal holdings. If the article is not available electronically or in print, you can submit an Interlibrary Loan Request.

  • For more information on journal databases and how to find journal articles generally, see our Using Articles for Legal & Non-Legal Research guide.
Health/Medical Journal Databases

When doing research on health law topics, it is often useful or even necessary to make use of health science materials. Researchers and practitioners in the the health science field rely on journal articles as a primary communication medium because they can be published much more quickly than books, thus rapidly spreading the latest medical information to those who need it. Textbooks are relied on secondarily, to provide a standard overview of a particular medical practice area. To identify standard medical textbooks, see "Medical Books and Literature" in the Attorneys' Medical Deskbook or contact a librarian at the Health Sciences Library.

  • LexisNexis and Westlaw

  • Medical Journal Indexes and Databases

    • Since journal articles are the major source of current medical information, the indexes to these articles are extremely important. Some of the most important indexes and databases are as follows:

      • Ovid MEDLINE
        Medline was created by the National Library of Medicine and it currently indexes approximately 5,200 biomedical journals. It includes U.S. journals and journals from over 80 other countries from 1950 to present. The best way for GULC students, faculty, and staff to access Medline is through Ovid MEDLINE because it links to the full text of many articles. Medline is also available through
      • PubMed Central (PMC)
        Free online, full-text digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journals from the National Library of Medicine. Most of the articles in PMC are indexed in PubMed with links to the full text in PMC, but some (such as book reviews) are not. PMC contains almost 2 million articles; dates of coverage vary by journal.

      • CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature)
        Indexes almost 3,000 English-language nursing and allied health journals. CINAHL includes some full text and coverage begins in 1981.

      • EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database)
        Important international index of over 7,000 biomedical and pharmacological journals from approximately 70 countries. Dates of coverage vary by journal.

      • Web of Science (Science Citation Index, 1980 - )
        Index of over 6,650 journals in 150 scientific disciplines. Use the "Cited Reference Search" to gauge the impact of an article based on how many times it has been cited.

    • If the full text of an article is not available in a particular index/database, click on the link "Full Text @ Georgetown" to find an electronic version of the article. If the article is not available electronically, search GULLiver to see if the journal is available in print at the Law Library. If the journal is not available electronically or in print at the Law Library, you can submit an Interlibrary Loan Request.

  • For more information on databases containing articles from medical and health science journals, see Georgetown University Library's Article Databases in Health Sciences or the Dahlgren Memorial Library's Core Databases.

  • For more information on journal databases and how to find journal articles generally, see our Using Articles for Legal & Non-Legal Research guide.

News and Current Awareness

Looseleaf Services

These sources are aimed particularly at practicing lawyers who need to have quick access to the current information in a particular area of law. They are released or updated frequently and generally contain primary documents (statutes, regulations, and cases) as well as news, articles, and summaries of recent developments. There are two basic types of looseleaf services: interfiled and newsletter-style. For more information on looseleaf services, see our Using Looseleaf Services Guide.

  • Interfiled Looseleaf Services

    • Health Law Practice Guide (Westlaw: HTHLPG)
      This four-volume guide by the American Health Lawyer's Association is organized into five categories: operational issues for healthcare facilities, patient care delivery issues, payment issues, transactions, and special legal concerns in the business environment. A useful appendix includes year in review, forms, and a state law chart.

    • Health Care Law Sourcebook (Electronic: LexisNexis)
      Federal laws, regulations, and documents relating to health care

    • Medicare and Medicaid Guide (Electronic: CCH IntelliConnect) (Print: KF3608 .A4C64, no longer updated in print)
      Medicare and Medicaid Guide "offers comprehensive, full-text reporting of federal Medicare and Medicaid law and regulation provisions and summary reporting of state Medicaid programs. It provides complex reimbursement, prospective payment, eligibility and coverage rules for health care professionals and suppliers of health services, plus federal laws and regulations, manuals, and forms." The guide includes the full text of Provider Reimbursement Manuals, Medicaid state charts, court decisions, and a weekly report summary. Updated daily online.

    • Health Care and Antitrust Law (Print: KF3825 .M527 1992) (Westlaw: HTHATRL)
      Six-volume set that "analyzes the antitrust issues affecting doctors, hospitals, laboratories, long-term care facilities, and most other health care providers. It provides an overview of general antitrust principles and describes how they apply to different health-care industry segments. It also covers the Robinson-Patman and Non-Profit Institutions acts, along with an in-depth discussion of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Volumes 1 and 2 analyze substantive laws, important cases, developments, and proposals. Volumes 3 and 4 compile forms, letters, opinions, and speeches from more than 30 different hard-to-find sources."

    • Attorneys Medical Deskbook (Westlaw: MEDDESK)
      This three-volume set "provides the necessary medical background for cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and workers' compensation."

    • Health Care Law: A Practical Guide (Electronic: LexisNexis) (Print: KF3821 .M28 1985, no longer updated in print)
      One-volume guide covering a range of legal issues faced by health care providers.

    • Health Law & Business Library (BNA)
      Available through BNA and Westlaw (BNAHLB)

  • Newsletter-Style Looseleaf Services

    • Health Care Fraud Report (BNA) (KF3605 .A15, 1998-2006)
      Available electronically through BNA (1997 - ) and Westlaw (BNA-HCFR (1997 - ))

    • Health Care Policy Report (BNA) (KF3821 .M26, 1994-2000 with some issues missing)
      Available electronically through BNA (1998 - ) and Westlaw (BNA-HCP (1993 - ))

    • Health Law Reporter (BNA) (KF3825.5 .A15 B63, 1994-2006)
      Weekly report of recent developments in health law, including coverage of state and federal health law-related cases
      Also available electronically from BNA (Dec. 1997 - ) and Westlaw (BNA-HLR (1992 - ))

    • Health Plan and Provider Report (BNA) (KF3825 .A15 B87, July 1998-March 2002)
      Also available electronically through BNA (1998 - ) and Westlaw (BNA-HPPR (1998 - ))

    • Medicare Report (BNA) (KF3821 .A15 B6, 1998-2006)
      Also available electronically from BNA (Dec. 1997 - ) and Westlaw (BNA-MED (Nov. 1991 - ))
Other Newsletters
  • American Health Line
    Summarizes previous day's news and legislative and regulatory activity related to health care
    LexisNexis: American Health Line (1992 - )

  • The Health Lawyer (K8 .E9, 1982 - )
    A bi-monthly publication from the American Bar Association
    Westlaw: HTHLAW (selected coverage from 1990)
    LexisNexis: The Health Lawyer (July 1999 - )
    Online: ABA (Oct. 2000 - , ABA members only)

  • Health Law Perspectives (Health Law & Policy Institute, University of Houston Law Center) (1998 - )
    Provides short legal analyses of health law issues written by faculty and L.L.M. candidates in health law at the Institute. Archives can be searched or browsed by topic.

  • NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health (National Bureau of Economic Research) (Fall 2002 - )
    The Bulletin "summarizes selected working papers recently produced as part of the Bureau's program of research."

  • State Health Notes (National Conference of State Legislatures) (RA395 .A3 S7, June 5, 2000 - Oct. 20, 2003)
    A biweekly publication designed to deliver health information to state legislators and legislative staff. It offers a national perspective on healthcare issues as well as a network of established key policy contacts in all 50 states. It also offers timely news concerning new bills, laws, proposals and programs. Also available electronically through the NCSL (ceased publication in June 2009).
Other News & Blogs

Other Resources

Select Resources for Reports and Policy-Oriented Materials

Various government offices produce nonpartisan reports, including:

  • Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
    Among its other duties, the "CBO performs analytical studies at the request of a Congressional Committee or Subcommittee; the Congressional leadership; or as time permits, individual Members. The analyses, which address a broad range of topics, are published as studies and papers or as letters, or they are delivered in testimony." The CBO's website includes health-related reports from 1976 to present in addition to a special collection of health-related materials.

  • General Accountability Office (GAO) Reports
    The GAO "is known as 'the investigative arm of Congress' and 'the congressional watchdog.' GAO supports the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and helps improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people." Most GAO reports are prepared at the request of members of Congress. Reports are available on GPO Access (1993 - ) and from the Government Accountability Office (1950s - ).

  • Congressional Research Service Reports (CRS Reports)
    These are non-partisan and in-depth reports produced by the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of the Library of Congress, on a variety of topics for Congress.

Policy think tanks and research institutes also produce and publish many policy reports. To search for these, first try searching the following databases:

  • PolicyFile (1990 - )
    Indexes and abstracts public policy research and analyses originating from think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers. Where available, links to organization websites and full text.

  • Public Affairs Information Service International (PAIS) (1915 - )
    Indexes literature on public policy, social policy, and social sciences generally.

  • CQ Researcher (1991 - )
    Published 44 times per year, each report provides in-depth coverage of a particular political or social issue. Search by keyword, browse by topic ("Health"), or use the Issue Tracker to follow particular health-related topics (e.g., health insurance). Available through the CQ Electronic Library.

For additional health policy studies and reports, see the websites of the following organizations.

Professional Organizations and Associations, Government Agencies, Institutes, and Think Tanks

Professional Organizations and Associations
  • ABA Health Law Section
    Publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called "Health Lawyer"; website includes ABA submissions to the government on various health law and policy issues.

  • American Health Lawyers Association
    The website provides information about the Association and its publications.

  • American Hospital Association (AHA)
    Represents and serves all types of hospitals, healthcare networks, and their patients and communities. Through its representation and advocacy activities, "AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debate, and judicial matters." See Advocacy for links to issue papers, AHA letters to senators and representatives, Congressional testimony, and the Legal Resource Library and the Resource Center and Research and Trends for statistics and studies.

  • Federation of State Medical Boards

  • Health Privacy Project (Center for Democracy and Technology)

  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
    IHI is an independent non-profit organization working "to accelerate improvement by building the will for change, cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care, and helping health care systems put those ideas into action." The site provides information about IHI's upcoming programs as well as access to its publications.

  • Institute of Medicine (IOM)
    IOM "provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large." The website provides access to its reports.

  • The Joint Commission
    The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that "accredits and certifies more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States." The site provides access to its newsletter and its other publications.

  • The Leapfrog Group
    The Leapfrog Group is "an initiative driven by organizations that buy health care who are working to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of healthcare for Americans." The website provides access to the Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey Results, which is one of its most well-known initiatives.

  • National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD)
    NASMD is "a bipartisan, professional, nonprofit organization of representatives of state Medicaid agencies (including the District of Columbia and the territories)" and its primary purposes are "to serve as a focal point of communication between the states and the federal government, and to provide an information network among the states on issues pertinent to the Medicaid program." Provides access to some publications by the Association.

  • National Conference of State Legislatures: Health
    NCSL " is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories." The NCSL section on health provides information on state and federal health issues and initiatives.
Federal and State Health Agencies
Academic Institutes and Think Tanks
  • Brookings Institution
    One of Washington's oldest think tanks. The Institution's Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides information on various health-related topics, publications, and upcoming events.

  • Centers for Law and the Public's Health (Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University)
    Founded in 2000 with funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a joint institutional center, the Center has recently been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Center on Public Health Law and Human Rights - the only academic center of its kind to receive this global status. The website contains reports of comprehensive research undertaken by the Center that examine the intersection of legal, social, and public health issues on selected public health law topics, the Center's newsletter "Center Insights", a public health law bibliography, as well as the full-text supplement to Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (KF3775 .P83 2002, KF3775 .P83 2002 Electronic).

  • Center for Studying Health System Change
    This website links to many policy research reports published by the Center and other research centers on insurance coverage and costs, access to care, and local markets and managed care.

  • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Health
    The Center works on fiscal policy at both the federal and state levels with a focus on fiscal responsibility and the impact of policies on low income Americans. Reports on health available from 1996.

  • The Commonwealth Fund
    The Commonwealth Fund is "a private Foundation that supports independent research on health and social issues and makes grants to improve healthcare practice and policy." The website provides access to newsletters published by the Commonwealth Fund as well as issue briefs on various health law and policy issues.

  • Harvard School of Public Health
    Provides general information about the School and its different departments, divisions, and programs offered. It also links to research conducted by difference centers within the School.

  • Health Law and Policy Institute (University of Houston Law Center)
    Established in 1978, the Institute is regarded as one of the top health law programs in the country. The website provides general information about their health law program. It also contains hundreds of annotated health law related links in its HealthPathfinder.

  • Health Policy Institute (Georgetown University)
    HPI is "a multi-disciplinary group of faculty and staff dedicated to conducting research on key issues in health policy and health services research." The site provides links to the Institute's research centers and projects, as well as publications and articles by institute researchers.

  • Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
    The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. The foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Browse reports and other documents by topic or search by keyword.

  • JHSPH OpenCourseWare Project
    The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health "provides access to content of the School's most popular courses." Course content includes syllabi, schedules, lecture materials, readings, and assignments.

  • RAND Health
    A research division with the RAND Corporation "advancing understanding of health and health behaviors, and examining how the organization and financing of care affect costs, quality, and access." Search titles and abstracts of publications as early as 1970. Full text also available for many documents, including Research Briefs (1995 - ), Congressional Newsletters (2002 - ), commentary published in news sources (2002 - ), and articles published in journals (dates vary).

  • Health Policy Center (Urban Institute)
    The HPC "analyzes trends and underlying causes of changes in health insurance coverage, access to care, and use of health care services by the entire US population." To access publications, first select a topic.

  • O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law (Georgetown Law & Nursing and Health Studies)
    The Institute was founded in 2007 and is a joint project of the Georgetown University Law Center and the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The Institutes has three core programs: National Health Law, Global Health Law, and Disease Prevention and Outcomes. The website includes a list of publications, video archive, public hearings, and more.
Grassroots and Advocacy Groups
  • Families USA
    Families USA is "a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans." The website provides information on issues such as medicaid, children's health, medicare, prescription drugs, the uninsured, private insurance, minority health, and global health. Publications are available from 1992 (mostly full text, some available for a fee). To see all publications, view by date or topic.

  • Healthcare Leadership Council
    A coalition of chief executives from health care organizations.

  • National Association of Community Health Centers
    A "non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and expand access to quality, community-responsive health care for America's medically underserved and uninsured." Website provides access to the organizations research and data, including state-by-state information.

For additional organizations, associations, and institutes focused on health or conducting health-related research, see

Sources for Statistics and Specific Facts

Statistics
  • Health, United States (RA407.3 .U57a, 1983 - )
    Health is "an annual report on trends in health statistics." Also available electronically from the Centers for Disease Control (1975 - ).

  • National Center for Health Statistics
    NCHS is the "Nation's principal health statistics agency." It compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of Americans.

  • CMS Research, Statistics, Data & Systems
    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "offers researchers and other health care professionals a broad range of quantitative information on [its] programs, from estimates of future Medicare and Medicaid spending to enrollment, spending, and claims data, and a broad range of consumer research to help its partners and staff. "

  • Kaiser State Health Facts (Kaiser Family Foundation)
    Provides data on more than 500 health topics across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

  • American FactFinder (U.S. Census Bureau)

  • Health Statistics (MedlinePlus)
    Provides access to statistics and reports from various government agencies and independent organizations related to health care.

  • LexisNexis Statistical
    Includes the American Statistics Index (1973- ) (sources from various U.S. government departments and agencies), Index to International Statistics (1983- ) (sources from various international and regional organizations); and Statistical Reference Index (1980- ) (sources from different types of associations and organizations).

  • Current Index to Statistics
    A bibliographic index to publications in statistics and related fields. References are drawn from 160 core journals that are fully indexed, about 1200 non-core journals from which articles are selected that have statistical content, and 11,000 books. Dates of coverage is 1974-present with some pre-1974 content from core journals.

  • Statistical Resources on the Web: Health (University of Michigan Documents Center)
    Provides an annotated list of health statistical sources on the Web.

  • World Health Organization Data and Statistics
Drug Information

Further Research Tools

Subject Headings and Call Number Ranges

Subject Headings
  • Managed care plans (Medical care) -- Law and legislation -- United States
  • Medical care -- Law and legislation -- United States
  • Medical laws and Legislation -- United States
  • Medical policy -- United States
  • Public health laws -- United States
  • Hospitals -- Law and legislation -- United States
Call Number Ranges

Find books on health law topics by browsing the law library stacks by call number. The stacks near the following numbers will contain relevant materials. See this floor map for call number locations.

  • KF3821 -
  • KF1183 -
  • RA963 -

Other Research Guides and Resources

Updated 9/14/2007 (YM)
Revised 10/2009 (MS)

Page last saved 18-Nov-2009