Law Commons^™

Mine Reclamation's Reliance On King Coal: Meeting Legacy Environmental Obligations With A Declining Industry, Claire Jarrell

University of Colorado Law Review

Coal mines throughout Appalachia have left the land scarred and the water damaged. Although mine reclamation programs are the only major system of recourse for addressing environmental degradation caused by mining, the downturn of the coal market has put reclamation programs in a precarious position for achieving that end. Funds for coal mine reclamation are derived from the current coal industry's profits. As coal profits continue to atrophy, so too does the pot of money designated for reclamation efforts. These dwindling financial resources are particularly problematic because there is still significant need for reclamation funding throughout Appalachia.

This Comment explores …

Medical Records And Privacy Rights: The Unintended Consequences Of Aggregated Data In Electronic Health Records, Andrea C. Maciejewski

University of Colorado Law Review

In an era of rapid-pace technological innovation and political focus on healthcare, the federal government is pushing for nationwide interoperability of electronic health records. While there are many benefits from such a program, the lack of federal or state privacy regulations for patients' personal data opens up the possibility of widespread dissemination of private and sensitive information. This inattention to privacy will cause major problems if exploited.

Currently, there are no federal or Colorado laws that protect against potential privacy violations and provide recourse for a patient if a medical professional decides to insert nonmedical information, such as information about …

Redefining What It Means To "Furnish Items In Excess Of A Patient's Needs": A Federal Tool To Guide Physician Prescribing Behavior And Combat The Opioid Crisis, Carson Schneider

University of Colorado Law Review

The United States is in the midst of one of the deadliest drug epidemics in its history: the opioid crisis. The relevant players- prominent physicians, federal investigators, and multiple presidents, to name a few-have demonstrated a desire to combat the crisis, but they have not always focused on addressing one of the crisis's most prominent causes. This Comment starts by identifying a major cause of the opioid crisis-physician-prescribed opioid painkillers-and then advocates for federal regulation and monitoring through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a remedy.

Under the current statutory regime, HHS has the power to control …

Who Guards The Guardians? Simplifying The Discovery Of Electronic Medical Records, Joseph Deangelis

University of Colorado Law Review

As medical errors reign as a leading cause of death and injury in the United States, the efficient and effective resolution of medical negligence disputes becomes increasingly necessary, albeit uncommon. Despite the frequency of medical errors, the quality of medical care in the United States has increased over the last several decades. This improvement has been due in no small part to the widespread adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) by healthcare providers across the country. While EMR systems have done their part to improve patient care, they are not designed for litigation. Indeed, the widespread use of EMR technology …