Public Health Law Blog Archive

More cities and states are expanding access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. From new laws that allow more responders to administer the drug, to the distribution of naloxone kits, reports indicate that the medication is becoming a widely known, and accepted, antidote for drug overdose.

Drug addiction and related deaths are needless and heartbreaking in any community, yet these issues have faced communities of color for decades. The current spotlight on heroin overdose illustrates the ongoing need to address health disparities.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information and sets national standards to ensure the security of electronic health data. For public health agencies and health care providers, ensuring compliance with HIPAA rules can be daunting. In this Q&A, Network Attorney Jennifer Bernstein addresses a number of grey areas in HIPAA privacy.

Inspecting restaurants to ensure food safety is a well-known practice and responsibility of public health agencies. Many health departments and local governments have implemented grading systems for restaurant inspections, and have made these grades available to the public -- but do the grading systems help increase food safety?

Historically, services for mental health and substance use disorder have not been covered by most insurance plans. Two significant pieces of legislation have worked to reduce this inequity.