Health care law encompasses the laws and regulations governing hospital and health care administration, and an understanding of health care insurance is integral to it. There are significant differences in the types and amount of coverage provided by various private insurance policies, such as HMOs, PPOs, disability insurance, and hospital indemnity insurance, just as there are important differences in the cost to the purchasers of health insurance. There are also public health care insurance programs. Elderly and disabled persons may be eligible for coverage through the federal Medicare program. The joint state-federal Medicaid program helps certain individuals, including disabled persons and low-income elderly persons, pay for long-term care and in-home health care.
Leonardtown is a town in and the county seat of St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,896 at the 2000 census. Leonardtown is perhaps most famous for the national oyster-shucking championship that occurs annually at the St. Mary's County fairgrounds. Historic Leonardtown includes both a large public high school and a Catholic high school, offices of the county government, and St. Mary's Hospital which serves the healthcare needs of the county. The College of Southern Maryland maintains a growing satellite campus within city limits. An upscale home development located in the Breton Bay area is just outside of town, notable for both its country club golf course and swimming pool. Leonardtown's population is growing due to the town's proximity to Patuxent River Naval Air Station and the Washington, DC metro area. Several new ethnic restaurants and an upscale supermarket opened during 2006 and 2007. Two recently constructed hotels are open for business within city limits. An old order Mennonite farming community is a few miles to the northwest where community members sell furniture, crafts, produce, and other homemade/home grown products. The Leonardtown Wharf waterfront park opened as a public attraction for both locals and tourists in May 2008.