Laws dealing with the provision, financing and regulation of health care in the U.S. are based largely on a model presuming the involvement of autonomous health care consumers. In reality, however, many health care consumers today have mildly to severely compromised autonomy because of mental, physical, and/or age-related deficits or disabilities. These compromised individuals are often particularly vulnerable in terms of their health care needs and may require special legal attention and protections within the health care system. This course will address vulnerable patient populations with mental, physical, and/or age-related disabilities, focusing especially on responses of the legal system to the relationship of those patients to the health care and broader service systems.