Health Center-Based Medical-Legal Partnerships: Where They Are, How They Work, and How They Are Funded
Description
The integration of legal services in health centers through medical-legal partnership (MLP) has the potential to resolve some of the most intractable social problems that our nation’s vulnerable and underserved patients face. Health centers represent the fastest growing sector for MLP adoption across the healthcare system; the number of health centers operating MLPs in 2016 represents nearly double the number in 2014. Today, 113 health centers operate MLPs, and 38 additional health centers are planning new MLPs.
This issue brief describes how and where these partnerships operate and how state primary care associations are supporting these programs. It also discusses how health-center based MLPs are financed, with a spotlight on four states that integrate financing for legal services in Medicaid payment arrangements.
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Author
Alanna Williamson, Senior Research Assistant, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
Jennifer Trott, Research Scientist, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
Marsha Regenstein, Director of Research and Evaluation, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
This issue brief was published by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership.
Acknowledgment
This report is possible thanks to generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the Health Resources and Services Administration*.
*The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership receives support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under cooperative agreement U30CS26936, a National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement for $449,748. Zero percent of this project is financed with non-federal sources, and its content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.