Health and Law

Stanford Health Policy scholars examine how law and policy intertwine to shape health care delivery, regulation, and equity. Their work investigates health insurance, medical ethics, patient rights, and public health—examining how legal frameworks and policy reforms drive change on issues from pandemics to AI and technology, health disparities and professional accountability.

Navigating Uncertainty and Unprecedented Shifts in Federal Health Policy

Stanford Law’s Michelle Mello—also a professor of health policy—discusses how sweeping changes in federal health policy are reshaping public health—and leading states to fill the void.

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JAMA Report Calls for Stronger Oversight of Health Care AI

SHP's Michelle Mello joins a global group of 65 thought leaders from academia, technology companies, regulatory agencies, and health systems dissected and debated actionable solutions to effectively, safely, and responsibly deploy AI into clinical practic

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Supreme Court Upholds ACA’s Free Preventive Care Mandate

A study by SHP's Josh Salomon and his Stanford Prevention Policy Modeling Lab found that almost 30% of privately insured individuals, or nearly 40 million people, use at least one of the free preventive health services guaranteed under the ACA.

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Health, Law, Ethics & Data

David Studdert, Michelle Mello and colleagues at Stanford Law School discuss the wide range of research and academics across the Stanford campus that focuses on how health care and policy are impacted by the law.

Mello Addresses US House Panel on Advancing AI in Health Care

SHP's Michelle Mello testifies before a US House committee hearing on artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, highlighting its enormous potential while urging lawmakers to recognize their critical role in protecting patients and organizations.

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AI holds enormous promise for improving health care, but its adoption is being slowed by a fundamental trust deficit. By taking practical steps now, Congress can help close that gap.

Michelle Mello

Professor of Health Policy and of the Law

Watch Mello's Testimony Before U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health

Mello testifies

Stanford Health Policy's Alyce Adams addresses AI conference

Legal Risks and Rewards of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

During Stanford Health AI Week, Stanford Health Policy researchers address issues of liability risk and the ethical use of AI in health care, making the case for tools that address liability and risk—while making patient safety and concerns a priority.

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Surgeon General Cites SHP Research in Gun Violence Advisory

In his advisory on the public health crisis of firearm violence, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy cites research by SHP's Maya Rossin-Slater which lays out the devastating long-term impacts of school shootings on the classmates who survive them.

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Californians Living with Handgun Owners More Than Twice as Likely to Die by Homicide

Another striking finding from the landmark study led by SHP’s David Studdert, LLB, ScD, is that people who lived with a handgun owners were seven times as likely to be shot and killed by a spouse or intimate partner—84% of those victims were women.

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Liability Risks of AI and Health Care

The Epidemic of Gun Violence

Legal Liability in the Age of Medical AI

Policy Briefs

Understanding Liability Risk from Healthcare AI

David Studdert Elected to National Academy of Medicine for Injury Research

David Studdert, a professor of health policy and of law, is elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his major contributions to our understanding of the causes of medical injury, tort litigation, and firearm violence.

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NEJM Interview: David Studdert on the US Malpractice System

Stephen Morrissey, PhD, the executive managing editor of the The New England Journal of Medicine, interviews SHP's David Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, a professor of health policy and of law, about the impact of the U.S. malpractice system on medical decision-making.

JAMA Podcast with Michelle Mello

SHP's Michelle Mello, JD, PhD, joins JAMA+ AI Editor in Chief Roy Perlis to discuss her recently published JAMA Perspective that lays out a framework for when and how health care organizations should disclose AI use to patients. Mello shares insights on the importance of patient trust and surveys that suggest many patients currently mistrust the use of AI in their care.

The Future of Law & Ethics in Biotech

Stanford Health Policy Associate Hank Greely, JD, a professor of law and expert in bioethics, offers insights into the ethical, legal, and social implications of groundbreaking biomedical technologies.

The Future of Law & Ethics in Biotech

Regulation of Health and Health Care Artificial Intelligence

In this JAMA Viewpoint, SHP's Michelle Mello discusses the paucity of formal regulations dealing with artificial intelligence in health care and what may lie ahead.

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The Hard Road Ahead for Public Health Departments

Public health officials—already on the defensive due to the backlash against COVID-19 pandemic orders—are now facing a lack of support from the federal government, leaving them alone on the front lines to promote health while battling disease.

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Ramifications of the Supreme Court’s Latest Term for Health Regulation

The Supreme Court ended its 2024 term with major rulings affecting federal agencies. SHP’s Michelle Mello writes in a JAMA viewpoint that while these rulings have critical ramifications for health agencies, the outlook is more complex than it might appear.

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