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 Justice, Protecting Access to Healthcare for All Californians, (2021)
Includes information on the Attorney General’s efforts to protect the access to quality, affordable healthcare for: elders, people 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 Law, Addressing 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
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.
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
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
New Mexico
Fighting the Opioid Crisis in New Mexico
New York
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
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).
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
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.
Tennessee
What You Need to Know about Health Care Scams
Utah
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 and Grievance Procedure for 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 Justice, Coalition 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.