State attorneys general have a track record of health advocacy. The existing jurisdiction of attorneys general in the area of public health is broad and often underutilized. Although there are attorneys general willing and anxious to help, existing health initiatives too often continue to proceed without the benefit of the voice and the leverage that attorneys general obviously bring. State attorneys general are extraordinary voices for the public good, and it is important to maximize their advocacy on behalf of our nation’s health.
Health Care Reform Resources
As state attorneys general face new challenges presented by health care reform, the Health Project at the National State Attorneys General Program has been compiling resources and material to aid offices meet those challenge. Below is a link to the resource page that includes a document outlining key areas that will affect attorney general offices.
Program Director Tierney and Senior Counsel Lott to Give Presentation on Health Care and Consumer Protection to NAAG (October 2012)
On October 29, Program Director Jim Tierney and Senior Counsel Cindy Lott were on a panel at the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Fall Consumer Protection Seminar with Sharon Clark, Insurance Commissioner of Kentucky, to discuss the role of attorneys general under the affordable care act. The discussion focused on the increased need for interdivision and interagency coordination within states to meet the impending challenges. Below is a list of resources and a memo highlighting specific issues attorneys general should be aware of within consumer protection and how they will interact with areas such as antitrust and charities.
Attorneys General and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Originally written in preparation for a health care conference hosted at the National State Attorneys General Program in December of 2011, the following memo was written to examine the role of the state attorney general in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and
Potential State Attorneys General Role
On December 5
th, the
Health Project at the
National State Attorneys General Program hosted a roundtable discussion with designees from sixteen attorney general offices on the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The discussion focused on the role of state attorneys general beyond constitutional challenges
pending before the Supreme Court. Concentrating on areas where attorneys general have traditional involvement, the discussion highlighted areas expected to see more activity such as insurance market reforms, healthcare marketplace changes, and Medicaid expansion. The Health Project intends to release a resource guide that will reflect the responsibilities tasked to state attorneys general to aid their offices understand and prepare for healthcare reform implementation.
Raising awareness of the health risks of tobacco use and curbing cigarette marketing to children is an essential task of state attorneys general, especially following settlements against major cigarette manufacturers in the late 1990s. The National State Attorneys General Program's Tobacco Resources Initiative provides valuable resources for members of attorneys' general offices, regulators, and the public in dealing with tobacco-related legal issues, including information on past lawsuits and public anti-smoking efforts.
