Wendy E. Parmet

Nov 6, 2024 | ajph.aphapublications.org | Wendy E. Parmet

Despite law’s importance to public health, until relatively recently, researchers seldom studied law’s impact on health with the same scientific rigor they apply to other phenomena that affect health. Laws are the means through which many public health policies are effectuated or undermined. Statutes, ordinances, and regulations, issued by governments at all levels, can codify or preclude health policies, such as those established by the Affordable Care Act.

Jul 18, 2024 | healthaffairs.org | Wendy E. Parmet

The safe, equitable, and efficient operation of the US health care system and the protection of the public’s health depends in large measure on the work of federal health agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

May 23, 2024 | healthaffairs.org | Sabrina Adler |Ross C Brownson |Scott Burris |Paul Erwin |Peter Jacobson |Wendy E. Parmet | +1 more

During and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of bills were introduced in state houses limiting the legal powers of public health officials. While most of these bills did not become law, at least 25 states enacted legislation curbing the legal authority of public health officials. Many judicial decisions also pushed back against broad interpretations of public health officials’ legal powers.