Law & Regulation of Healthcare

Course Overview

Every decision in healthcare is shaped by laws, regulations and oversight structures that protect patients and ensure high‑quality care. Yet many professionals don’t receive formal training in the legal responsibilities tied to their roles. This course introduces the core legal frameworks that guide U.S. healthcare, helping you make informed, ethical decisions across clinical, administrative and leadership settings. 

You’ll explore essential areas including major healthcare laws, patient privacy and HIPAA requirements, fraud and abuse prevention, informed consent and the responsibilities of federal and state authorities. 

Whether you work in a clinical, administrative or leadership role, you’ll gain the foundational legal fluency needed to navigate today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment. 

Course Features:  

• • Part of the Health Law Certificate 
    
  • 100% online and self-paced 
    
  • No LSAT or GRE required 
    
  • Expert-curated curriculum taught by legal and healthcare subject matter experts 
    
  • All course materials included 

Who Should Enroll

This noncredit certificate is ideal for professionals in healthcare administration, law, compliance, public health, policy, HR, risk management and innovation leadership seeking legal skills in healthcare. If you make decisions that impact patient privacy, risk, compliance, contracts or innovation, this certificate gives you the legal fluency to lead responsibly. 

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to: 

• • Identify and explain the fundamental principles and key provisions of major U.S. healthcare laws 
    
  • Apply HIPAA regulations to scenarios involving patient confidentiality and privacy 
    
  • Recognize and evaluate forms of healthcare fraud and abuse including false claims, kickbacks and physician self-referrals 
    
  • Demonstrate knowledge of legal principles governing healthcare decision‑making including informed consent and advanced directives 
    
  • Analyze the legal framework of health insurance, including coverage regulations and federal and state oversight 

Healthcare is highly regulated, and legal expectations evolve quickly. This course builds essential legal literacy in areas such as HIPAA, fraud and abuse, insurance regulation and ethical decision-making. Learners gain skills that strengthen compliance, reduce risk and enhance professional credibility.  

Yes. This course is one of six in the Health Law Certificate, but it can also be taken individually. 

This self-paced course takes approximately three hours to complete, but you can move at a pace that fits your schedule.  

The course is delivered fully online through short modules, real world examples and application-based learning. All materials are included with enrollment. 

Professionals with training in healthcare law are in growing demand across hospitals, health systems, government agencies and consulting firms. Skills developed in this course support roles in compliance, regulatory affairs, healthcare administration, public health and legal consulting. This course and the Health Law Certificate provide a competitive edge in a high impact, evolving field. 

Creighton University is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. This program is valid for 3.0 PDCs for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification.

No. A law degree is not required, and neither is standardized testing such as the LSAT or GRE. This certificate is open to professionals from a variety of backgrounds who are looking to better understand the intersection of law and healthcare.  

We do not offer tuition assistance for noncredit lifelong learning courses or certificates. However, Creighton alumni, faculty, staff and eligible partner employees, along with their spouses and dependents, may qualify for a 15% discount. One discount per offering. Other restrictions may apply. Learn more.