Health Policy provides an overview of policy mechanisms (legislative, regulatory, and private) that shape the way health care is delivered in the U.S. The course will show how policy translates into practice in the context of payment for care in the form of private commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, operation and regulation of the health care delivery system (hospitals, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, long term care, home health care and health policy as it relates to legal and ethical issues such as practitioner duty to patients, informed consent and death and dying issues. The course provides a survey of health policy advocacy both at the macro and micro levels. The course will also challenge students to consider health policy issues of the future such as national health insurance, shortages of medical care professionals and facilities and the effective use of resources in a resource-limited environment.