Industry Spotlight: How MLS Graduates Drive Compliance in Health Care, HR and Finance
It's no secret that the health care industry is one of the most strictly regulated in the country — and for very good reason. Health care compliance regulations and laws are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and providers, along with professional competence and equitable access.
Still, navigating the complex realm of health care regulations can be challenging. This is why many health care organizations today prefer to hire Master of Legal Studies (MLS)-educated professionals who understand the laws that are unique to the industry, how they affect compliance needs and how to mitigate unnecessary risk.
Why Health Care Compliance Matters
Before diving deeper into the importance of health care regulatory compliance, it's helpful to understand exactly what health care compliance entails.
What Is Health Care Compliance?
Health care compliance refers to the systems, policies and practices that are in place to ensure health care organizations follow the laws, regulations and ethical standards designed to protect patients and maintain safe care. Because of this robust system of regulations and laws, the health care system is better equipped to deliver a high standard of care to patients while protecting sensitive data, mitigating instances of fraud and ensuring consistent care across providers.
Key Health Care Laws Compliance Professionals Must Understand
Working in MLS compliance careers (such as roles in regulatory affairs, privacy compliance and health care risk management) calls for a thorough understanding of key health care laws that apply to organizations industry-wide. Among the most notable include:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – Intended to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without consent, including medical records and billing information.
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) – Meant to make health insurance more affordable and readily available to the American people by establishing a nationwide marketplace for coverage and prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) – A law that requires health care providers participating in Medicare to deliver emergency treatment to patients regardless of their ability to pay or their insurance status.
Why Health Care Organizations Need Strong Compliance Programs
Of course, the above list is by no means comprehensive; health care providers and organizations must adhere to numerous other regulations and laws in order to remain compliant. Due to the increasing complexity of health care regulations, many organizations implement strict compliance programs that protect patient rights, ensure quality of care and avoid legal issues down the road.
Protecting Patient Rights and Privacy
First and foremost, strong health care compliance programs are an essential part of protecting patients' rights and data privacy. With robust compliance programs in place, health care providers and organizations can ensure more consistent and standardized care while minimizing the risk of errors. And when laws (like HIPAA) are built into compliance programs, patient data is kept private and secure at all times.
Ensuring Quality and Safety in Health Care
Excellent health care compliance programs also help protect overall patient safety by improving the quality of care and reducing the risk of errors that could lead to adverse outcomes for patients. More specifically, these programs can help pinpoint potential issues before they affect patients, resulting in enhanced quality and safety.
Why Health Care Regulations Continue to Expand
Health care is already one of the most strictly regulated industries in the United States — and that trend is only expected to continue as advances in health care technology emerge and the focus on patient rights rises.
Advances In Health Care Technology
In recent years, advancements in health care technology have presented a need for more oversight and regulation to protect patient privacy and safety. For example, the expanded adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) across the industry has led to the expansion of HIPAA laws and the introduction of new regulations (like the HITECH Act) for electronic health records.
Increased Focus on Patient Rights and Data Privacy
Increasingly, patients and lawmakers are focusing on protecting patient rights and sensitive data across the health care industry. This, in turn, has yielded stricter enforcement of HIPAA as well as the emergence of new health data and privacy laws requiring strict compliance practices.
Growth of Digital Health Records and AI
In addition to the widespread adoption of EHRs, the prevalent use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care has led to the need for expanded regulations, many of which revolve around the concepts of transparency, safety and bias prevention.
What Is a Master of Legal Studies (MLS)?
Arguably more than ever, working in any kind of health care compliance role now demands the types of specialized skills and knowledge obtained in an advanced health care compliance degree program, such as a Master of Legal Studies (MLS).
Specifically, an MLS is a graduate-level degree designed for non-lawyers working in law-adjacent capacities, including compliance and risk management in highly regulated industries like health care.
Why Health Care Professionals Pursue an MLS
There are various reasons why health care professionals may choose to pursue a health care compliance degree. Most commonly, this type of education is ideal for those in (or pursuing) MLS compliance careers — as the program curriculum often entails coursework on relevant topics such as:
- Industry compliance/regulatory standards
- Leadership and policy
- Legal literacy and analysis
Additionally, earning an MLS in health care offers a pathway to specialize in niche areas of the field, including pharmaceutical regulation and medical device marketing. Compared to a health care professional with an undergraduate degree alone, this could support greater employability in an ever-competitive job market.
How an MLS Prepares Professionals for Health Care Compliance Roles
A Master of Legal Studies in business, health care or any other highly regulated field can prepare professionals for compliance roles in a number of ways:
Understanding Health Care Laws and Regulations
An MLS program includes coursework in the laws and compliance regulations specific to your industry. For health care, this may cover laws such as HIPAA, ACA and beyond.
Developing Legal and Analytical Skills
Meanwhile, an MLS program helps students develop versatile legal and analytical competencies that they can apply to their work in health care compliance and similar roles. For instance, these skills may be leveraged to implement improved compliance programs and develop workplace policies that ensure legal compliance.
Learning How Law, Ethics and Health Care Intersect
Another important aspect of any MLS program in health care is a deep dive into the various ways in which law, ethics and the health care industry are intertwined. With a firmer grasp of how these areas intersect, MLS-educated professionals may be better prepared to make ethical decisions and ensure regulatory compliance in their own work.
Emerging Compliance Challenges in Health Care
A Master of Legal Studies in business or health care may prepare students to rise and meet new legal challenges as they inevitably emerge, too, including those related to new technologies and their inherent compliance risks.
Adapting to Changing Health Care Regulations
As new health care regulations are implemented, compliance officers and other professionals are tasked with staying on top of these updates and adapting compliance programs as needed to protect organizations against legal risks.
Technology and Compliance Risks
When new, groundbreaking health care technologies are adopted across the industry (including AI and machine learning), health care compliance professionals will be charged with navigating new compliance challenges — particularly in regard to privacy laws, algorithmic transparency and bias mitigation.
Careers in Health Care Compliance With an MLS
No matter where your specific interests may lie in health care compliance, there are several possible career paths you may wish to explore with an MLS degree. Examples include:
- Health care compliance officers are responsible for ensuring that health care organizations comply with local, state and federal laws tied to patient safety, data privacy and more.
- Privacy or HIPAA compliance officers oversee a health care organization's compliance programs as they relate to data privacy and HIPAA laws.
- Regulatory affairs specialists ensure that all health care products (including medical devices and pharmaceuticals) meet certain compliance standards regarding documentation, clinical trials and marketing.
- Health care risk management specialists are responsible for identifying and mitigating risks related to health care organizations through incident reporting systems, risk analysis, policy development and training.
Why an MLS Is Valuable for Health Care Compliance Professionals
Regardless of whether you're already working in a health care compliance role or aspire to progress into one, the right legal background and formal education can make all the difference. Earning your Master of Legal Studies degree from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University could be an excellent way to advance your education while building the valuable risk management, compliance and legal literacy skills needed in today's health care compliance and regulatory affairs roles.
Our MLS program is offered with nine concentrations, including a health care compliance track that helps instill a solid working knowledge of the rules and regulations that govern the industry. Plus, with a 100% online curriculum, our MLS program enables you to work toward your degree without putting your professional commitments on hold.
Contact us today to learn more about our MLS degree program, or get started on your application. You may also read more about our admission requirements.
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