One of the biggest issues in the health care industry is addressing inequalities. In order to reduce these inequalities, the industry has focused on the implementation of laws and regulations designed to reduce the gap in access to healthcare.
While the health care industry has made progress, it has still made its fair share of mistakes. For example, the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination mandate caused a lot of confusion and litigation in the first half of 2021.
The FTC has also been investigating non-hospital provider mergers. Its study is due to be completed by the end of 2021. This study could result in some enforcement activity.
A related legal occurrence is eminent domain, which is the process by which a private property is seized for public use without the owner’s consent. Oftentimes, the law uses attachments to hold the property until a final judgment is reached.
Another interesting legal occurrence is the fact that it is now illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for reporting unsafe workplace practices.
While it may be difficult to predict exactly what will be the top legal issues in 2020, the health care industry is sure to be one of the most prominent. Healthcare providers will be forced to define and implement diversity initiatives, including the creation of a company-wide diversity plan.
Other key legal matters include the new COVID-19 vaccination requirements, voting, immigration and human trafficking. Each of these issues will be considered by courts.
