Essentials of Health Policy and Law

Essentials of Health Policy and Law provides students of public health, medicine, nursing, public policy, and health administration with an introduction to a broad range of seminal issues in U.S. health policy and law, analytic frameworks for studying these complex issues, and an understanding of the ways in which health policies and laws are formulated, implemented, and applied.

The new Sixth Edition delivers a clear, engaging, and up‑to‑date roadmap to the policy and legal forces shaping today’s U.S. health care and public health systems. With refreshed statistics, reorganized chapters for improved clarity, expanded public health examples, and new content on health justice and the impact of mis- and disinformation, this edition equips students across the health professions with the insight and tools necessary to understand—and influence—the policies that shape population health.

Key Updates

- Coverage of recent Supreme Court rulings such as The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, and current U.S. Government administration policy changes
- New content on the use of mis- and disinformation to influence policy, and on health justice, including a description of the commercial drivers of health
- New “In-Depth” boxes in select chapters provide more detailed and advanced information about certain topics
- Updated figures, tables, and data
- Full suite of updated instructor resources including sample syllabus, slides in PowerPoint format, image bank, and test bank in LMS-compatible formats.

Introducing Claire AI™ — Students' AI-Powered Mentor
- New to this edition is an AI‑powered study tool that provides students with around‑the‑clock academic support and personalized guidance. Built on Jones & Bartlett Learning–authored content, Claire AI helps students clarify concepts, reinforce understanding, and engage more confidently as they read, providing consistent, course‑aligned support throughout the learning experience.