Policy and law have always been fundamental in shaping the practice of individual health care in the United States and to achieving both every- day and landmark public health improvements. Centuries-old legal principles have, since this country’s inception, provided the bedrock on which healthcare quality .
Federal policy and law also play a role in public health. Although the word “health” never appears in the U.S. Con. - stitution, the document confers powers on the federal govern - ment—to tax and spend, for example—that allow it to engage in public health promotion and disease prevention activities.
Public Health Policy and Law. The second large topical domain is that of public health policy and law. A central focus here is on why and how the gov. - ernment regulates private individuals and corporations in the name of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
The bioeth- ics domain houses some of the most explosive questions in health policy, including the morality and legality of abortion, conflicting values around the meaning of death and the rights of individuals nearing the end of life, and the policy and legal consequences of mapping the human genetic code.
The competing interests at the heart of public health are mainly addressed through two types of policies and laws: those that define the functions and powers of public health agencies, and those that aim to directly protect and promote health. c.
laws are built, and today the healthcare industry is regulated in many different ways. Indeed, federal and state policy and law shape virtually all aspects of the healthcare system, from structure and organization, to service delivery, to financing, and to administrative and judicial oversight.