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Health Law Advocates, Inc.
Health Law Advocates fights to achieve health care justice for society's most vulnerable members. We are the only non-profit law firm in Massachusetts dedicated exclusively to health care access. With our parent organization, Health Care For All, HLA combines legal expertise with grassroots organizing and policy reform to advance the statewide movement for universal health care access. Health Law Advocates provides free legal assistance to hundreds of Massachusetts families each year.
Our clients are low and middle income residents from all parts of the State. Many are children, elderly, or coping with disabilities. All face barriers to health care treatment that result in suffering and loss. Last year, our small staff of full-time attorneys and private practice lawyers in our Pro Bono Legal Network panel combined to assist over 825 families and individuals in obtaining access to needed health care. Day in and day out, HLA staff makes a difference in the lives of ordinary people who simply are unable to cut through legal, administrative or financial barriers to obtaining needed health care treatment.
The MassHealth Dental Program Has Changed!
Thanks to Health Care For All v. Romney, a landmark lawsuit brought by Health Law Advocates, Greater Boston Legal Services and advocacy by the oral health community, there have been massive improvements to the oral health care needs of children and adults on MassHealth. A remediation process required several major changes to better assist MassHealth members. Please click here to learn more about these changes.
HEALTH LAW ADVOCATES OPPOSES PROPOSED MEDICAID RULE THAT WOULD LEAVE CONSUMERS WITH AMBULANCE BILLS
Boston, Massachusetts - On Monday, March 24, 2008, HLA Senior Staff Attorney Lorianne Sainsbury-Wong submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding proposed rule 42 CFR Part 440, CMS-2232-P. Ambulance carriers often pursue aggressive collection actions against consumers, including lawsuits. Wong commented that even in a state such as Massachusetts, which covers non-emergency ambulance transportation for its Medicaid members, consumers incur burdensome ambulance bills. Medically necessary ambulance transportation is a lifeline and often the only means for disabled consumers to get medical treatment. It can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the level of service rendered. Eliminating coverage for non-emergency ambulance transportation will result in potential barriers to health care access and leave consumers with medical debt.
Click here to read HLA's comments.
HLA Contributes to BBA's Health Law Reporter
HLA Executive Director Barbara Anthony and HLA Staff Attorneys Matt Selig and Georgia Maheras co-authored an article on advising clients who may be faced with the tax penalty under the Ch. 58 health reform act mandate. The article, which was published in the Winter 2008 issue of the Boston Bar Association Health Law Section's Health Law Reporter, can be read by clicking here.
(Article found on page 10).
Tax Penalties: UPDATE
In April 2008, Massachusetts taxpayers will be assessed the tax-year 2007, $219 penalty if they did not have affordable health insurance on December 31, 2007.
As of January 1, 2008, the penalties for tax year 2008 will begin to accrue for people who do not have affordable health insurance in 2008. The Department of Revenue has released a draft of these penalties. Click here to view the draft. The penalty schedule provides that for individuals under 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), penalties are half the cost of the Commonwealth Care plan premiums. For those 18-26 years old and over 300%, the penalties are half the cost of the cheapest Young Adult Plan. For adults over 26, whose income is above 300% FPL, the penalties will be half the cost of the lowest Commonwealth Choice Bronze plan (without drug coverage).
Got questions? Please Click here for Individual Mandate FAQ’s
HEALTH LAW ADVOCATES EXPOSES HARDSHIP CAUSED BY STATE INSURANCE PROGRAM
Boston, Massachusetts - On Monday, February 4, 2008, HLA Staff Attorney Georgia Maheras testified before the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority Board regarding emergency regulations 956 CMR 3.00 and 956 CMR 6.00. Maheras testified that serious deficiencies in the state's Commonwealth Care Program caused needless pain and suffering for Massachusetts consumers. Speaking for HLA, Maheras told the panel that Commonwealth Care coverage had to be extended back to cover services received when the state erroneously terminated coverage for innocent consumers. Maheras told the story of an HLA client who updated her income information with MassHealth and was incorrectly terminated fro the Commonwealth Care program. As a result of this action, HLA's client incurred thousands of dollars of medical debt.
"It is grossly unfair to innocent consumers that they are financially penalized because of a mistake made by the Commonwealth through an erroneous termination of benefits," said Barbara Anthony, HLA Executive Director. "The MassHealth system is oftentimes plagued by human error and consumers are caught helpless in the middle. This is a chance for MassHealth to do the right thing for their members who are terminated due ot a mistake by the agency itself," she added.
Click here to read HLA's testimony.
HLA in the Globe
HLA Executive Director Barbara Anthony wrote a letter in response to a Jan. 26th Boston Globe editorial on children's dental care.
Click here to read the letter, which was published in The Boston Globe on January 29th.
HLA's News & Notes
Click here to read the January 2008 issue!
Coming Soon: New Website for HLA!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Klarman Family Foundation, a new website will soon be constructed for HLA.
Watch this space!
State Health Programs: Eligibility and Coverage
Please click here for a link to Health Law Advocates’ updated "State Health Program Eligibility and Coverage Chart." HLA updates this chart periodically as the requirements change for the state-subsidized health programs. The latest version of this chart includes the NEW Commonwealth Care plans: BMC Healthnet, Fallon Community Health Plan, Neighborhood Health Plan, and Network Health. If you have any questions about this chart or to determine if you qualify for any state programs, please contact us.
HLA 12th Annual Breakfast a Huge
Success -
over $450,000 Raised:
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS!!
On November 6th, HLA held its annual benefit at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Over 1,000 supporters and friends gathered for the early morning event. The morning's highlight was a side-splitting performance by Boston's own Jimmy Tingle, the social and political humorist. After the scheduled performer cancelled at the last minute, Mr. Tingle jumped in to save the day with a remarkable performance of great wit and high energy.
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| Jimmy Tingle and Barbara Anthony |
Another highlight of the morning was the honoring of HLA's founding executive director, Laurie Martinelli. HLA announced the establishment of the Laurie Martinelli Internship Fund to provide financial support to HLA's dedicated legal interns.
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| Laurie Martinelli with her parents |
DONATIONS to the Martinelli Internship Fund can be made by emailing lhealey@hla-inc.org
Barbara Anthony on Channel 5 Investigates
HLA Executive Director Barbara Anthony sat down with Channel 5 reporter Kelley Tuthill to comment on a medical debt story. The piece, which Channel 5 aired on November 27th, focused on a breast cancer patient who was slapped with excessive medical bills.
Click here to read the story and watch the Channel 5 video.
HLA announces its "Law And Policy Forum: Brown Bag Luncheon Series"
On September 26, 2007, HLA launched its new "Brown Bag Luncheon Series." HLA's goal for the Luncheon Series is to bring friends of HLA together in an informal setting to discuss health care law and policy issues that impact the cost, delivery and quality of health care in Massachusetts. The inaugural September 26th Luncheon featured former Massachusetts Governer Michael Dukakis, who led a provocative discussion on health care cost control.
For more information, and to see a schedule of upcoming Brown Bag Luncheons, please click here.
HLA STANDS UP FOR IMPROVED COVERAGE OF EATING DISORDERS
Boston, Massachusetts - On October 31, 2007, HLA submitted testimony to the Joint Committee on Financial Services in support of state legislation (H.989) requiring insurance companies to provide comprehensive coverage for eating disorders. Currently, eating disorders are not on the list of "biologically-based" illnesses which are entitled to robust insurance coverage. This legislation also requires insurers to make their appeals processes more patient-friendly and transparent.
To read HLA's testimony, click here.
To read the entire bill, click here.
HLA STANDS UP FOR MENTAL HEALTH PARITY
Boston, Massachusetts - On October 1, 2007, HLA testified before the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse in support of state legislation (H. 1871) requiring insurance companies to provide comprehensive mental health coverage. The state's current mental health parity law only provides parity for nine "biologically-based" illnesses; this legislation would improve upon the current law and require parity for many more mental health conditions.
To read HLA's testimony, click here.
To read the entire bill, click here.
HLA Supports Bill to Require Hospitals to Report Infection Rates
On September 12, 2007, HLA Executive Director Barbara Anthony told the Committe on Public Health that hospital infection rates should be made public to increase transparency and spur competition among hospitals for the lowest infection rates. Said Anthony, "consumers care about quality and will use this information to make sound decisions about which hospitals they want to go to and which hospitals they want in their health plan's network."
To read the complete testimony,
click here.
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