Samuel Sessions

Dr. Samuel Sessions is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and at the Department Health Policy and Management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. He has interests in health policy, with a focus on health care finance, public health, and the economics of health care and public health services.  Before entering medical school, Dr. Sessions practiced tax law in a large law firm in New York City. He later served as Chief Tax Counsel to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and then as Deputy Assistant (Tax Policy) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He entered medical school following his service at the Treasury. Dr. Sessions’ goal in his research is to bring his experience in public policy to bear on issues related to health care and public health.

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Areas of Interest

  • Health Policy 
  • Health Care Finance
  • Public Health
  • Economics of Health care

Selected Publications

  • S. Sessions, A. Detsky, 2010. “The ‘Shadow Government’ in Health Care”. Journal of the American Medical Association. 304: 2742-2743.
  • S. Sessions, A. Detsky, 2010. “Incorporating Economic Reality Into Medical Education”. Journal of the American Medical Association. 304: 1229-1230.
  • S. Sessions, 2010. Book Review: “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care”, by T.R. Reid. Journal of the American Medical Association. 304: 99-101.
  • S. Sessions, A. Detsky, 2010. “Washington, Ottawa, and Health Care Reform: A Tale of 2 Capitals”. Journal of the American Medical Association. 303: 2078-79.
  • S. Sessions, A. Detsky, 2009. “The Proposed Excise Tax on Employee Health Insurance: Good Idea, or Too Clever by 40%?” Journal of the American Medical Association. 302: 2252-53.
  • S. Sessions, 2009. Book Review: “Just Caring:  Health Care Rationing and Democratic Deliberation”, by Leonard M. Fleck. Journal of the American Medical Association. 302: 903-04.
  • S. Sessions, A. Detsky. 2009. “Employment and US Health Care Reform: Saving Jobs While Cutting Costs”. Journal of the American Medical Association.  301: 1811-13.
  • S. Sessions, P. Lee, 2008. “Using Tax Reform to Drive Health Care Reform: Putting the Horse Before the Cart”. Journal of the American Medical Association.  300: 1929-31.
  • S. Sessions, P. Lee. 2008. “A Roadmap for Universal Coverage: Finding a Pass Through the Financial Mountains”. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.  33: 155-97.
  • S. Sessions. 2008. Book Review: “Just Health:  Meeting Health Needs Fairly”, by Norman Daniels. New EnglandJournal of Medicine. 358: 1310-11.