Women’s Health: A Guide to Legal Resources
Across their life spans, women face an array of health-related experiences. Access to treatment, health insurance coverage, and workplace and cultural standards all can play a role in a woman’s short- and long-term mental and physical well-being. The following list of resources— along with our glossary of women’s health legal terms—can help women and their health care providers learn more about their legal rights when it comes to their health, how to navigate legal challenges if they arise, and how to advocate for better care for themselves and all women.
Glossary of Women's Health Legal Terms Return to list of contents
Health care law and policy can be confusing, but understanding some of the legal language used by lawmakers and others in the field can help. The following is a list of commonly used women’s health legal terms and definitions.
Affordable Care Act:
The comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010. Also sometimes called ACA or “Obamacare.”1
CMS:
The acronym for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Health Insurance Marketplace. The goal of CMS is to provide access to high-quality care at lower costs.2
Do-not-resuscitate (DNR):
A medical order written by a doctor with the patient (or a patient proxy or family member) in advance that instructs health care providers not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an emergency if a patient stops breathing or if their heart stops beating. 3
Electronic health record (EHR):
A patient’s digital health record intended to be shared with other authorized providers. It might include images from one test center with blood test results from a lab, and a medical history from a primary care doctor and other medical specialists. It can help reduce medical errors and unnecessary repeat tests. 4
Electronic medical record (EMR):
A health care practice’s electronic version of a patient’s chart, not meant to be shared outside of a medical practice 5
Evidence-based medicine:
Conscientious, explicit, judicious, and reasonable medical decision-making based on the use of the best available research evidence, a clinician’s expertise, and taking into account each individual patient’s preferences and values. 6
Health advocacy:
A health promotion activity that aims to overcome barriers to public health and occupational health. On the individual level, a patient advocate—either a personal contact or professional—helps a patient navigate the health care system, including finding appropriate medical care, understanding a diagnosis and treatment, setting up tests, and assisting with health insurance issues.7
Health law:
Health laws and legal frameworks provide a foundation for strong and resilient health systems. They can establish universal health coverage policy or focus on individual issues such as abortion, egg donation, and sexual assault.8
Health policy:
Decisions, plans, and actions developed by government and other policymakers aimed at achieving specific health care goals within a society.9
HIPPA:
The acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed by Congress in 1996. HIPPA requires the protection and confidential handling of patients’ protected health information.10
Informed consent:
Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about their diagnosis and recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care and potential outcomes, including risks and benefits.11
Maternal health:
The health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.12
Maternal mortality: The health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.13
Medical ethics:
Standards of conduct that define the essentials of honorable physician behavior.14
Medicaid:
A health care assistance program that serves low-income people of all ages. Patients usually pay no part of costs for covered medical expenses or just a small co-pay. It is run by state and local governments within federal guidelines.15
Medicare:
A medical insurance program for people 65 and older, people younger than 65 with disability, and people who are receiving dialysis for end stage renal disease or are in need of a kidney transplant.16
Power of attorney for health care (POAHC):
A POAHC is a document that is created by the patient/individual and appoints another person as their health care agent. That person has the legal right to make health care decisions if or when the patient becomes unable to make health care decisions for themselves.17
Reproductive health:
The diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect the male and female reproductive systems during all stages of life18
Sexual and reproductive health rights:
Women’s sexual and reproductive health is related to many human rights, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture, the right to health, the right to privacy, the right to education, and the prohibition of discrimination19
Telemedicine:
The use of telecommunications, such as audio and video conferencing, between a patient and a physician (or other health care provider) to diagnose, monitor, and care for the patient.20
Vulnerable:
Vulnerable communities include individuals struggling to make ends meet financially, racial and ethnic minorities, those with physical or mental health conditions, the uninsured and underinsured, low-income children, the elderly.21
Sources
- US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "Affordable Care Act," HealthCare.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- US Department of Health and Human Services. “Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services,” USA.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- US National Library of Medicine. “Do-Not-Resuscitate Order,” MedlinePlus.gov, Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "Electronic Health Records,” CMS.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. “What Are the Differences Between Electronic Medical Records, Electronic Health Records, and Personal Health Records?,” HealthIT.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- UNC Health Sciences Library. “Anesthesiology Residents: EBM Review and Practice,” UNC University Libraries website. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- World Health Organization. “Workplace Health Promotion,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018↑
- World Health Organization. “Health Laws and Universal Health Coverage,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- World Health Organization. “Health Policy,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018↑
- US Department of Health and Human Services. “Health Information Privacy: Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule,” HHS.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- The American Medical Association. “Informed Consent,” AMA-Assn.org. Accessed December 4, 2018. ↑
- World Health Organization. “Maternal Health,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- World Health Organization. “Maternal Mortality Ratio,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- World Health Organization. “Maternal Mortality,” WHO.int. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- The American Medical Association. “Frequently Asked Questions on Ethics,” AMA-Assn.org. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “What Is the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid?” HHS.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- United States government. “Navigating Power of Attorney: How to Help Loved Ones Manage Their Money,” USA.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH. “Reproductive Health,” NIEHS.NIH.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights,” OHCHR.org. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- American Telemedicine Association. “About Telemedicine,” Americantelemed.org. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Reaching At-Risk Populations in an Emergency,” CDC.gov. Accessed December 4, 2018.↑
Citation for this content: American University’s online Master of Legal Studies.