Keep current on health care law developments anywhere in the country.
Health care law changes fast – and the Health Policy Tracking Service (HPTS) on Westlaw makes it easy to stay on top of the changes with two unique features:
- Snapshots, which provide concise pictures of current health care legislation, and
- Issue Briefs, which contain expert analysis and guidance on hot topics in health care.
HTPS databases are organized around key health care legal topics.
Click a link below to jump to your topic of interest.
Access to Health Insurance
Of interest to:
- Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
- Attorneys who represent clients they believe may have been denied health insurance coverage improperly
- Attorneys who advise businesses that provide health insurance to their employees
- Elder law attorneys
- Health advocacy groups for children and families
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Access to Health Insurance, including State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (issued every two weeks), covering issues including:
- State and Federal Health Insurance Reform Legislation and analysis, including CHIPRA
- State and Federal legislation affecting a wide range of insurance access and coverage issues
- State SCHIP expansion and outreach efforts
- Health Insurance Industry News, Litigation and Allegations of Wrongdoing
- Issue Briefs:
- Access to Health Insurance (updated quarterly)
- SCHIP (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An attorney needs to know the recent federal House and Senate health insurance reform proposals.
HTPS Solution
Search Terms and Connectors: "HIGH RISK POOL" /P ELIGIBILITY
Database: HPTSIB-ACC (Issue Briefs for Access to Health Insurance)
Healthcare Providers and Facilities
Of interest to:
- Attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
- Attorneys who do medical malpractice
- Public policy analysts
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Access to Healthcare Providers and Facilities (issued every two weeks)
- Issue Briefs on Access to Healthcare Providers and Facilities:
- Emergency Care (including access to and dispensing of emergency contraception) (updated quarterly)
- Healthcare Facilities (updated quarterly)
- Medical Errors and Patient Safety (updated quarterly)
- Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform (updated quarterly)
- Healthcare Workforce (updated quarterly)
- Healthcare Information (updated quarterly)
- Quality of Healthcare (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An attorney has a client who thinks his wife died from a hospital-acquired infection. He believes her death may have been related to the hospital staff's poor compliance with post-surgery infection-prevention procedures.
HTPS Solution
Search Natural Language: Hospital Acquired Infection
Database: HPTSIB-PRF (Issue Briefs for Health Care Providers and Facilities)
Health Insurance Oversight
Of interest to:
- Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
- Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
- Elder law attorneys
- Attorneys handling grievances and appeals regarding HMOs
- General counsel for health insurance companies
- Health insurance compliance workers
- Attorneys who do medical malpractice
- Public policy analysts
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Access to Health Insurance Oversight (issued every two weeks)
- Issue Briefs on Access to Health Insurance Oversight:
- Managed Care (updated quarterly)
- Mandated Benefits (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An attorney needs to know if there is mandatory coverage for diabetes in California.
HTPS Solution
Search Terms and Connectors: diabetes /s coverage /p California
Database: HPTSIB-IOV (Issue Briefs for Health Insurance Oversight)
Of interest to:
- Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
- Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
- Elder law attorneys
- Attorneys who do medical malpractice
- Public policy analysts
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Long-Term Care (issued every two weeks)
- Issue Briefs on Long-Term Care:
- End-of-Life Issues (updated quarterly)
- Home- and Community-Based Services (updated quarterly)
- Funding of Long-Term Care (updated quarterly)
- Facilities & Quality Issues (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An attorney advising elderly clients or their families would like to track state initiatives to provide innovative care and treatment to Alzheimer patients both in the home and in long-term care facilities.
HTPS Solution
Search Terms and Connectors: Alzheimer /s care
Database: HPTSIB-LTC (Issue Briefs for Long-Term Care)
Of interest to:
- Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
- Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
- Elder law attorneys
- Public policy analysts
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Medicaid (issued every two weeks)
- Issue Briefs on Medicaid:
- Medicaid: Restructuring (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Services (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Eligibility (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Reimbursement (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Federal Policy - DRA (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Copayments (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Waivers (updated quarterly)
- Medicaid: Provider Taxes (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An attorney who represents a number of healthcare providers wants to keep up to date on what is happening in her state regarding Medicaid.
HTPS Solution
WestClip: enter the name of the state the attorney wants to track
Database: HPTSS-MDC (Snapshots on Medicaid)
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Of interest to:
- Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals, rehabilitation or treatment facilities
- Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
- Attorneys who represent pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers
- Attorneys who represent drug stores
- Elder law attorneys
- Public policy analysts
- Members of federal and state legislatures
Contents:
- Snapshots on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (issued every two weeks)
- Issue Briefs on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices:
- Business Practices (updated quarterly)
- Medicare Part D (updated quarterly)
- Pharmaceutical Cost Savings, including coverage of pharmaceutical assistance programs and generic medications (updated quarterly)
- Medical Devices (updated quarterly)
- FDA Oversight (updated quarterly)
Sample Scenario
An elder law attorney who wants to stay current on Medicare Part D developments, including the impact of recently proposed health reform legislation on this federal program
HTPS Solution
WestClip: Medicare Part D
Database: HPTSS-PHR (Snapshots on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices)
Ready to get the Health Policy Tracking Service on Westlaw?
To order the Health Policy Tracking Service on Westlaw,
- Contact your West sales rep, or
- Call 1-800-762-5272
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