AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW
Health Law & Policy Brief
The Health Law & Policy Brief is an online publication run by law students at American University Washington College of Law. Founded in 2007, the Health Law & Policy Brief publishes articles on a wide array of cutting-edge topics in health law. Such topics include health care compliance, fraud and abuse enforcement, health insurance payment and reimbursement issues, intellectual property issues, international human rights issues, FDA initiatives and policies, and a host of other matters. Beginning with a staff of just five, the Health Law & Policy Brief now boasts over thirty staffers and nearly 1,500 readers.
Current Issue
Volume 20, Issue 1
Navigating the Labyrinth of the Social Security Administration:
Legal and Procedural Barriers for Fibromyalgia Disability Claims
Nicholas Menacho-Foronda
Latest from the Blog
Contingency Management: An Effective Framework for Treating Stimulant Use Disorder and Opportunities for State Medicaid Coverage
Between 2003 and 2022, drug overdose deaths in the United States drastically increased by 366%. The major culprit for the increase in narcotic-related mortality were opioids, a class of drugs including heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone. In recent years, because of more effective treatment options and the availability of opioid overdose-reversal […]
The Judiciary Jabs Back at RFK Jr.’s Changes to the Childhood Vaccine Schedule
On March 16, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy granted an injunction preventing HHS from revising the childhood immunization schedule and staying the appointments of thirteen members of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). A legal challenge to these changes to the vaccine schedule seemed all […]
Continued Uncertainty in Title X Funding for Family Planning Services
The Title X Family Planning Program has been a major part of reproductive health care in the United States for over 50 years. It was established in 1970 when Congress passed the Public Service Act, and it remains the only federal program focused entirely on family planning and preventative health […]
Ethical Considerations in Plasma Donations Across the United States
For the past twelve years, William Jacques has visited CSL Plasma twice a week to donate his plasma. He brings in $460 a month, likening it to a part-time job. He’s not the only one. Across the United States, Americans are consistently frequenting plasma donation centers in exchange for a […]
A Year in Review: The Dissolution of USAID
It has now been just over one year since the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the first agencies affected by the Trump Administration’s government efficiency cuts. USAID, prior to absorption into the State Department, was the United States’ foremost agency for humanitarian aid, […]
A New Era for Medical Device Regulation: Inside FDA’s QMSR Transition
Medical device regulation is an imperative yet cumbersome process that spans throughout a product’s lifecycle, from initial development and premarket approval and ending with post-market surveillance. Since 1978, the FDA has steadily improved U.S.-centered regulations governing medical device manufacturing to ensure companies remain compliant with an array of evolving safety […]
Two Florida Women Subject to Judge-Mandated C-Sections Raise New Concerns About Pregnant People’s Diminishing Right to Bodily Integrity
A recent ProPublica investigation revealed how two Florida women, Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennet, were forced via a judge-ordered mandate to birth their children through C-sections, overriding their wishes for vaginal births and highlighting a new and concerning element to Florida’s fetal-personhood agenda. In September of 2024, during her twelfth […]
Cyber Warfare and the HIPAA Security Rule: Protecting Health Data in an Era of Geopolitical Conflict
Modern warfare has extended into the digital domain, where cyberattacks against private companies and critical infrastructure are increasingly used as tools in geopolitical conflict. The healthcare sector, which heavily relies on digital systems for storing sensitive patient information, is a particularly vulnerable target. This vulnerability, which can be increased during […]
Biosecurity Catching Up to the Modern Era: A Look Into S.3741
Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field, touching almost all parts of the human experience. The field has become a stronghold in the United States due to increased investment and a new multi-disciplinary approach to the developing research. Though these innovations are important for the future of disease prevention and the […]
The Decline of Antibiotics and the Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance: Could the PASTEUR Act be the Solution?
The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Flemming in 1928, and the golden age of antibiotic development that followed, significantly decreased the global threat of bacterial infections. However, the evolution of countless pathogen strains to resist antibiotics coupled with the lack of funds for antibiotic development has resulted in an acceleration […]