Health Care

Health Care

The ACS State Attorneys General Project develops, collects, and disseminates legal resources highlighting and examining the authority and actions of state attorneys general in key policy areas. This page collects resources related to health care.

California 

California Department of Justice, Defending the Affordable Care Act

Website detailing the history of the 2018 suit filed by Texas to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the California-led defense of the ACA.

California Department of JusticeProtecting Access to Healthcare for All Californians, (2021)

Includes information on the Attorney General’s efforts to protect the access to quality, affordable healthcare for: elderspeople with disabilities, women, children, members of the LGBTQ community, and the general public.

California Department of Justice, Health in all Policies Task Force

The Attorney General sits on this task force that is charged with identifying “priority programs, policies, and strategies to improve the health of Californians while advancing the goals of improving air and water quality, protecting natural resources and agricultural lands, increasing the availability of affordable housing, improving infrastructure systems, promoting public health, planning sustainable communities, and meeting the climate change goals.”

Colorado 

Office of the Attorney General, Colorado Department of LawAddressing the Opioid Epidemic, (2019)

The Department of Law offers resources for those facing opioid addiction.

Connecticut

Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, Health Care Advocacy Unit 

The Health Care Advocacy Unit provides assistance to consumers who have health care problems.

See also, Health Issues

District of Columbia

Suicide Prevention Month: Mental Health Resources (Sept. 28, 2020)

Protecting Your Mental Health During COVID-19 (May 2020)

Illinois

Health Care Bureau

The Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau was created to assist consumers with difficulties they encounter in obtaining health care services and insurance benefits through mediation, investigation and enforcement actions.

See also, Publications and Brochures

The Illinois Office of the Attorney General has several publications on Health Care Issues, including a publication on The Fair Patient Billing Act.

Maryland

Health Education and Advocacy Unit 

Mediation services are offered to consumers who have a billing dispute with their healthcare provider or a coverage dispute with their HMO or health insurance company.

See also Health Care Reform Fact Sheets.

Health Care Reform and You

This initiative works to assist citizens of Maryland in understanding how the Affordable Care Act affects them.

Health Care Decision Making.ppt (May 2008)

Massachusetts 

Health Care Resources at the Attorney General’s Office

Frontline Worker Resources (September 8, 2020)

Building Toward Racial Justice and Equity in Health: A Call to Action

This report from the Attorney General’s Office highlights longstanding disparities and the disproportionate toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on communities of color in Massachusetts.

Maintaining Emotional Health & Well-Being During the COVID-19 Outbreak (April 10, 2020)

Minnesota

Health Care Publications 

To help Minnesotans navigate the health care insurance system when problems arise, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General put together a handbook entitled "Managing Your Health Care" which contains an overview of private health coverage and tips on how to assert your rights when it comes to your health care insurance.

Michigan

Resources to Combat Opioid Addiction

Nebraska

Charting the Road to Recovery: Nebraska’s Response to Opioid Abuse, PDF (2017)

Nevada

Say No to Unlicensed Health Care 

The Attorney General’s Office is working together with other state organizations to raise awareness and educate the community to help stop people from falling victim to fake health care practitioners. The full action plan is available here.

New Jersey

Fighting the Opioid Crisis 

New Mexico

Fighting the Opioid Crisis in New Mexico

New York

Health Care Bureau

The Health Care Bureau safeguards the rights of health care consumers statewide through investigation of and enforcement actions against insurers, providers, drug companies and other individuals and entities that engage in fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or illegal practices in the health care market.

See also, Real Solutions for New Yorkers.pdf

Healthcare Helpline Report(2018)

Combatting the Opioid Epidemic

North Carolina

Opioid Crisis 

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office cooperates law enforcement with medical prescribers and the treatment and recovery community to promote prevention, treatment, and enforcement of prescription drug abuse.

Ohio

The Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness (report) (November 13, 2018).

Recovery Ohio Plan 

The Ohio Office of the Attorney General outlines the multi-faceted approach towards fighting the opioid epidemic in this report.

See also, How to Keep You and Your Family Safe (Report)

Pennsylvania

Healthcare Matters  

The Office of the Attorney General provides information on how Pennsylvanians can secure treatment, seek protection from unfair health care business practices, and learn the health care policies that favor consumers.

Opioid Battle Resources 

Tennessee

What You Need to Know about Health Care Scams 

Utah

Opioid Task Force

Environment & Health Division 

The Office of the Attorney General works in tandem to provide legal services on environmental matters that could have significant public health impacts on Utah and its population.

Riverton City in Partnership with Utah AG Launches New Medication Disposal Program, (Sept. 12, 2019).

Vermont

2020 Table of Health Care Professionals with Active Vermont Licenses 

Mental Health Crisis Response Commission

The commission is responsible for conducting reviews of law enforcement interactions with persons acting in a manner that created reason to believe a mental health crisis was occurring and resulted in a fatality or serious bodily injury to any party to the interaction.

Virginia

Press Release, Attorney General Herring Encourages Virginians to Utilize Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Including Through Insurance Purchased on Healthcare.gov, (April, 29, 2020).

Americans with Disabilities Act: Policy andGrievance Procedurefor Non-OAG Employees 

Saving Lives and Addressing the Heroin/Opioid Epidemic

Washington

Know Your Rights - Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (Report)

Reducing the Supply of Illegal Opioids in Washington State, (Report) (Nov. 2017).

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of JusticeCoalition of Health Care, Advocates, Criminal Justice Partners Issue Recommendations to Reform State’s Crisis Mental Health Response, (Feb 11, 2021).

See the recommendations here. (Feb. 11, 2021).

Other Resources

James Tierney, It's Time To Take On Big Opioid Like We Did With Big Tobacco, ACS Expert Forum (Mar. 5, 2018)

National Association of Attorneys General, NAAG Center for Tobacco and Public Health

National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units

State Medicaid Fraud Control Unites investigate and prosecute health care providers that defraud the Medicaid program, and review complaints of abuse or neglect in nursing home and board and care facilities.

ACS Resources on Healthcare can be found here.