Health Policy Commons^™

Long-Term Care Policy: Where Are We Going?, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Omb Watch

Gerontology Institute Publications

Millions of Americans suffer from physical or mental conditions that make it difficult for them to live fully independent lives. These are the frail elderly, disabled and chronically ill persons of all ages, and many mentally ill or mentally retarded persons. They need help to manage daily activities, whether they live in their own homes or in nursing homes.

Such care can be extremely expensive, since it often must be provided for many years, even a lifetime. Today, those costs are met largely by the individuals themselves or by their families and by public programs for low-income persons.

For many …

A Decade Of A Maturing Epidemic: An Assessment And Directions For Future Public Policy, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The author's goal in this article, is not merely to propose public health strategies for the future, but also to examine why government has been so slow, so equivocal, in its public health response to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. He argues that there has been a fundamental ambivalence in perceptions of the epidemic. For some, AIDS is perceived as a disease, with sympathy for sufferers. Once AIDS is viewed as a disease, like other catastrophic diseases, it follows that public policy will be based upon science and epidemiology--health education, research and treatment.

For others, AIDS is caused …