Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Bloustein School Planning and of Public Policy
10:832:338:02
Health and Public Policy
Spring 2015
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor:
Office:
E-mail:
Classroom:
Class Hours:
Office Hours:
Course Assistant:
Mary Hrywna, MPH
Liberty Plaza Building, 335 George Street, Suite 2100
mary.hrywna@rutgers.edu
Ruth Adams Building, Room 001
Monday and Wednesday, 2:15 - 3:35pm
By appointment
Myriam Casseus, MPH, MA, CHES, email: casseumy@sph.rutgers.edu
NOTE: This syllabus will change. I will inform students of any changes ahead of time (e.g.,
adding or dropping readings, changes of dates for guest lectures, etc.)
Date of this syllabus: 01/21/15
Overview:
This course is an introduction to health policy. This class will give students a better sense of
how health policy affects public health and health care. It begins by describing the basic
machinery of policymaking and legal process that underpin the individual health care and public
health systems, and then turns to an exploration of many of the fundamental problems and
contemporary issues in health policy and law, with an emphasis on recent health care reform.
Students will learn to think critically about health policy issues and apply this ability in writing
and speaking. The class includes readings, lectures, class discussion, guest speakers, written
assignments, student presentations, and examinations.
Course Learning Objectives:
The goal of this course is to provide students with:
1. An understanding of the policymaking process
2. An understanding of the health care and public health systems
3. An ability to analyze health policy issues
4. An understanding of health care economics and financing and their relationship to health
policymaking
5. An understanding of federal health insurance programs and their connection to access
to health care, the uninsured, and health reform
6. An understanding of the basic legal concepts that underlie the health care and public
health systems, including the legal rights and responsibilities of various stakeholders in
the health care system and the extensive and complex role played by federal and state
law in the protection of the public’s health
Readings:
Required Text: Teitelbaum, Joel B. and Wilensky, Sara E. Essentials of Health Policy and Law,
2nd edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. 2013.
Listed below as Text
1
This book will be supplemented by other readings including journal, newspaper or magazine
articles and will vary from week to week. Some of the supplemental readings will be announced
as we progress in the course. Citations will be provided for the articles. It will be your job to
locate the articles, read them prior to class, and bring them to class for discussion. If you have
difficulty finding any articles, please notify the instructor or course assistant.
Attendance is required and classroom participation is strongly encouraged. Attendance will be
noted and class participation is factored into your final grade. In addition, attendance and class
participation will be weighted more heavily for classes in which guest speakers are presenting.
Course Requirements:
The course requirements include 1 policy memo, 1 group presentation and 2 exams.
Health Policy Memo. Each student will prepare a brief memo (4 pages double spaced, 12 point
font, min 1” margins) analyzing an a current health policy problem (topic to be assgned).The full
details of the assignment will be handed out in class. A separate handout detailing this
assignment will be distributed in class.
Policy Debate. Students in the class will be divided into teams. With two teams working
together, members will identify a debate question from a list of possible health policy debate
topics. Topics not on the list will be considered if appropriate. One team will be designated to
give oral arguments in favor of the question and the other will give arguments against the
question. Each team must do research in preparation for the debate. possible, you will be given
time in class to work with your teams but you will also be responsible for meeting with your
group outside of class as need. Attendance is MANDATORY for all students on the designated
final presentation days whether you are presenting or not. Depending on the final number of
groups, presentations will be held during the last two or three classes. The specific date for your
group’s presentation will be assigned later. A separate handout detailing this assignment will be
distributed in class.
Exams. There will be two in-class exams. The midterm will cover material from the first half of
the course only and the final exam will cover material from the latter half of the course only. You
should expect that any content presented in the readings or in class, including lectures and
guest lecturers, will be covered on the exams. You will have the class time allotted to complete
each exam. The exam will consist of multiple choice questions and short answers.
Grading:
Grading will be allocated as follows:
Class Attendance/Participation:
Policy Memo:
Midterm
Group Presentation:
Final Exam:
15%
15%
25%
20%
25%
Course grades will be assigned as follows: A: 90-100; B+: 86-89; B: 80-85; C+: 76-79; C: 70-75;
D: 61-69; 60 or below is a failing grade.
Any questions regarding the grading of specific course requirements must be brought to my
attention in a timely fashion.
2
Other considerations:
Collegial and respectful conduct is expected in class. Class members should consider
themselves colleagues who will collaborate to help each other develop a solid understanding of
materials and concepts.
Prompt attendance at all classes is expected. Please notify the instructor or course assistant if
you anticipate missing class. Any missed classes without an excused absence will count against
your class participation grade. I understand emergencies occur but timely arrivals and
departures should be the norm.
Please silence or turn off your cell phones and other electronic devices during class.
All assignments must be completed on time. A hard copy of the assignments should be turned
in at the class session in which they are due. Late work will be penalized. Assignments turned
in the following week will be marked down an entire grade. Assignments cannot be submitted
any later than one week after the due date; missed assignments will receive a failing grade.
Cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Such actions
will result in a failing grade on the assignment and disciplinary action will be pursued. For further
information about academic misconduct and a full explanation of the University’s policies,
please see the University’s Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and
Graduate Students located on the web at http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html.
If any questions or concerns arise, please contact me. Any student in this course who has a
disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact
me as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full
participation and to facilitate your educational opportunities. You should also register with the
Office of Disability Services (http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu).
Please note that your final exam is scheduled for the last regular meeting date of the
class. If you need to schedule an alternative date for an exam, please contact me at least
4 weeks in advance of the exam. Only valid exam conflicts will be grounds for an alternate
date such as a conflict with another exam. If you have a serious illness or an emergency on the
day of the exam, contact me IMMEDIATELY. Failure to make alternative arrangements prior
to an exam or a paper due date will result in a failure for that exam or paper. There are no
make-up exams for unexcused absences.
3
SCHEDULE
Week 1: Wed, January 21
Introduction
Week 2: Mon, January 26 and Wed, January 28
What is health? What affects health?
History of public health
Public health institutions and systems
How a bill becomes a law?
Overview of health care system
Read:
Text: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Khazan, Olga, “How being poor makes you sick.” The Atlantic, May 21, 2014
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/poverty-makes-you-sick/371241/
Week 3: Mon, February 2 and Wed, February 4
Health economics & understanding health insurance
Read:
Text: Chapters 7 & 8
Gladwell, Malcolm, “The Moral Hazard Myth,” The New Yorker, August 29, 2005
Krugman, Paul, “Health Economics 101,” New York Times, November 14, 2005
Week 4: Mon, February 9
Writing a policy memo
Read:
Text: Chapter 13
Policy assignment distributed in class
Week 4: Wed, February 11
Public Insurance Programs
Read:
Text: Chapter 10
Millions of Poor are Left Uncovered by Health Law:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/health/millions-of-poor-are-left-uncovered-by-healthlaw.html
How Medicaid for Children Partly Pays for Itself:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/upshot/how-medicaid-for-children-recoups-much-of-itscost-in-the-long-run.html?rref=upshot&abt=0002&abg=0
4
Week 5: Mon, February 16 and Wed, February 18
Introduction to health care reform
Read:
Text: Chapters 6, 9
Other readings to be determined (TBD)
Week 6: Mon, February 23
Public response to health care reform
Read:
Jones, Bradley, and Oberlander. Pascal’s Wager: Health Insurance Exchanges, Obamacare,
and the Republican Dilemma. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 39, No. 1,
February 2014
Millions of poor are left uncovered by health law.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/health/millions-of-poor-are-left-uncovered-by-healthlaw.html
Week 6: Wed, February 25
Disparities and Disabilities
Read:
Lisa I Iezzoni (2011). Eliminating Health and Health Care Disparities Among the Growing
Population of People with Disabilities. Health Affairs, 30,no. 10: 1947-1954.
Health Disparities Chart Book on Disability:
http://www.iod.unh.edu/pdf/Health%20Disparities%20Chart%20Book_080411.pdf
Policy Memo Assignment Due in Class on Feb 25
Week 7: Mon, March 2
Disabilities Law
Guest Speaker, James M. Cooney, JD, Instructor, Rutgers School of Management and Labor
Relations
Read:
Viscik v. FowlerEquipt. Co. (obesity)
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/nj-supreme-court/1204544.html
Moorer v. Baptist Memorial (alcoholism)
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-6th-circuit/1098963.html
Disability Discrimination:
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm
5
Week 7: Wed, March 4
Aging and Long Term Care
Read:
Frank RG. “Long-Term Care Financing in the U.S.: Sources and Institutions” Applied Econ
Perspectives and Policy 34(2):333-345, 2012.
Week 8: Mon, March 9
Work in your groups
Week 8: Wed, March 11
MIDTERM EXAM
Week 9: March 16 and March 18
SPRING BREAK
Week 10: Mon, March 23
Lobbying and Advocacy
Read:
Allard, Nick. My Turn: Why We Need More Lobbyists. Newsweek. 13 March 2010.
Goodnough Abby. Interest groups Push to Fill Margins of Health Coverage. NY Times 5 Dec
2012.
Week 10: Wed, March 25
The Role of Media
Guest speaker: M. Jane Lewis, DrPH, Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health
Read: TBD
Week 11: Mon, March 30
Issues in Health Policy: Obesity
Read: TBD
6
Week 11: Wed, April 1
Issues in Health Policy: Obesity
Guest speaker, Daniel Giovenco, MPH, Doctoral Student, Rutgers School of Public Health
Read: TBD
Week 12: Mon, April 6
Issues in Health Policy: Tobacco
Read:
Schroeder SA, Warner KE. Don’t forget tobacco. N Engl J Med. 2010 Jul 15;363(3):201-4.
Deyton L, Sharfstein J, Hamburg M. Tobacco Product Regulation – A public health approach.
N Engl J Med. 2010 May 13;362(19):1753-6.
Week 12: Wed, April 8
Issues in Health Policy: Tobacco
Guest speaker, Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., Executive Director, Global Advisors in Smokefree
Policy (GASP) and Director of the Policy and Legal Resource Center
Read: TBD
Week 13: Mon, April 13
Issues in Health Policy: Marijuana
Guest speaker, Frank Greenagel Jr., LCSW, LCADC, ICADC, ACSW, CJC, Adjunct
Professor of Social Work and Instructor at the Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University
Read: TBD
Week 13: Wed, Apr 15
Issues in Health Policy: Indoor tanning
Guest speaker, Jerod Stapleton, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Rutgers Cancer
Institute of New Jersey
Read: TBD
7
Week 14: Mon, April 20 and Wed, April 22
Group presentations: Policy Debate
Week 15: Mon, April 27 and Wed, April 29
Group presentations: Policy Debate
Week 16: Monday, May 4
FINAL EXAM IN CLASS
8