Article by Lawrence E. Singer
Catholic health care is at a crossroads. Faced with increasing competition in the health care industry, the Church must balance contemporary business realities and governmental regulation with its traditional mission of providing high-quality, spiritually based care, particularly to the poor. This Article begins with an overview of Catholic health care and its role in the nation's health care delivery system. The Article then examines the state and federal law governing Catholic health care providers, as well as the applicable Church law. The Article concludes that the law has failed to keep up with the rapidly changing world of religious-sponsored health care and suggests how sponsors, lawmakers, and affected communities can cooperate to ensure the future of Catholic health care in the United States.
About the Author
Lawrence E. Singer. Associate Professor of Law Emeritus, Institute for Health Law and Director, Center for Catholic Health Care and Sponsorship, Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Citation
72 Tul. L. Rev. 159 (1997)