New Healthcare Laws on the Horizon: Preparing for What’s Next

Healthcare law is in a state of incredible flux. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced thousands of regulations that are still being interpreted and challenged in court. At the same time, artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks make patient privacy laws more important than ever, while ever-advancing medical technology poses new bioethical challenges.

Healthcare is full of trade-offs and conflicting ideas on how to ensure patients get safe, quality care. Leaders who understand the laws and regulations in the healthcare industry are better positioned to both advance patient care and grow in their careers.

This post explores existing healthcare laws, what’s next for American healthcare, and how those changes could impact patient care.

How Healthcare Laws Are Made and Passed

Most healthcare laws start as proposals from non-profits or industry lobby groups. These groups are well-positioned to spot problems, whether it’s a regulatory loophole producing unintended consequences or a legal provision that creates unnecessary burden.

Lobbyists approach legislators with their proposals, and if the legislator agrees, they turn that proposal into a bill. The first step for all bills is a committee, where a select group of legislators discusses, debates, and amends the bill.¹ In the House of Representatives, the most important healthcare committees are Ways and Means, as well as Energy and Commerce. In the Senate, the key committees are Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

If the bill passes a vote in committee, the chamber’s leadership can agree to put it on the floor for a vote. A simple majority is enough to pass a bill in the House, while many bills in the Senate need to overcome a filibuster, which requires 60 votes from 100 senators.

After both chambers of Congress pass the bill, it goes to the President for a signature. If the Executive branch vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.

What Are the Most Important Healthcare Laws to Know?

The ACA is a key law for regulating the healthcare industry in the United States.² Signed into law in 2010, the law expanded Medicaid, prohibited private insurance companies from denying care based on pre-existing conditions, and created healthcare exchanges where individuals could purchase subsidized insurance plans. The law also introduced thousands of regulations that touch nearly every corner of healthcare.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, established strict privacy standards around the use and disclosure of personal patient data.³ First passed at the beginning of the internet era, HIPAA provides clear regulations around the sharing of healthcare information to promote patient health.

The healthcare laws and regulations related to the ACA and HIPAA affect every medical professional in the United States on a daily basis. Providers, administrators, and entrepreneurs without a legal background still need to understand how policy shapes the healthcare system and how to navigate legal requirements.

Upcoming Changes in Healthcare Laws

The ACA has faced myriad legal challenges and modifications since its inception. At the end of 2025, the Senate forced a government shutdown over extending the federal subsidies that lower the prices of the health plans available on the individual exchanges.

Those in favor of ending federal subsidies claim the cost to the federal government and to the taxpayer is too high, while many in public health say the cost to consumers of unsubsidized plans will cause many to go without insurance entirely, leading to further challenges with the exchanges.

Rising healthcare costs and their effect on both governments and individuals are likely to be a major driver of healthcare law in the future.

Global Influences on Domestic Healthcare Policies

Policymakers around the world, including in the United States, are grappling with how to address the effects of climate change on global health.⁴ In addition to direct effects such as increased heat-related deaths and increased flooding, a warmer climate can worsen air quality, threaten the food supply, and change the way animal-borne diseases are transmitted.

Artificial intelligence and other new technologies are making a major impact on healthcare policy, especially in countries such as the United States.⁵ New digital solutions can promote better patient outcomes while giving researchers vast amounts of data and the tools to analyze new public health threats.

However, these technologies also pose risks to patient privacy. Each transfer of data risks leaving personal medical information insecure and vulnerable to hacking. Healthcare leaders around the world need to assess the acceptable trade-offs and chart a HIPAA-compliant path forward.

American healthcare leaders can learn from the struggles of global policymakers. While not every international solution maps neatly onto the United States, leaders look to other countries to learn from both their accomplishments and missteps.

Quality of Care and Patient Safety

Healthcare policy is full of challenging questions and trade-offs, especially when it comes to how important healthcare employment laws and regulations are to patient care. For instance, nine states have relaxed their requirements for a medical license by allowing doctors who completed their residency abroad to receive their license without having to complete a U.S. residency.⁶ Other states are considering similar changes.

Proponents say requiring U.S. residency does not make sense when so many areas of the country are medically underserved. Opponents worry that a foreign residency does not adequately prepare doctors for U.S. hospitals, threatening the quality of care.

Prepare for the Future of Healthcare Law With Hofstra

Hofstra University’s online Master of Arts (MA) in Health Law and Policy and online Certificate in Health Law and Policy are in-depth, flexible programs that equip healthcare providers, administrators, and entrepreneurs to better understand the legal landscape of American healthcare policy. Designed for non-legal professionals in the healthcare space, this program helps students develop expertise in laws and regulations in the healthcare industry, including those around privacy, bioethics, insurance, and compliance.

Learn from leaders in their fields, network with healthcare professionals, and prepare for the next stage of your career. Take the first step to advancing your career by starting your application or booking an appointment with an admissions outreach advisor.