The National Health Law Program is embarking on a two year project engaging in administrative advocacy to protect and expand health rights for low- and middle-income people across the United States, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This project will allow the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and our partners to expand our engagement at the federal level in administrative advocacy efforts related to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We have partnered with the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU School of Law to undertake this project. These organizations bring significant expertise that will complement NHeLP’s own.
NHeLP has a solid history of engaging in administrative advocacy and of monitoring administrative/regulatory developments affecting low-income and underserved people. This project will enable us to expand this capacity. We also see this as a valuable opportunity to bring new, diverse voices into the regulatory process.
“We are excited to begin this project to reach new audiences and engage them in administrative advocacy,” said Mara Youdelman, managing attorney of NHeLP’s DC office and the project’s director. “An administration’s regulatory activities impact the lives of everyone in this country, but few outside of a small circle of advocates realize it. The Foundation’s support will give us the opportunity to widen that circle and directly engage individuals most impacted by administrative policies. Our goal is to reach Medicaid and ACA enrollees and give them the tools they need to make their voices heard.”
Over the past few years, we have seen people all over this country organize and rally around protecting access to health care. This project is rooted in that movement and we are proud to be part of it.
Executive Director Elizabeth G. Taylor echoed those sentiments, “For 50 years NHeLP has excelled at understanding the law and advocating on behalf of low-income people. This grant recognizes that and will help us continue that work. But it also challenges us – and we welcome that challenge. Far too often the people most impacted by regulatory changes are the least likely to be heard. This grant gives us an opportunity to reach out to those people, introduce them to administrative advocacy, and amplify their voices. Over the past few years, we have seen people all over this country organize and rally around protecting access to health care. This project is rooted in that movement and we are proud to be part of it.”
Deliverables will include public comments in response to proposed federal regulations and subregulatory guidance, technical assistance and training materials to support administrative advocacy (including issue briefs and blog posts to unpack administrative proposals), template comments, comment portals, tools, and social media materials. NHeLP has partnered with the DC-based digital media agency Social Driver to help us in our digital outreach.
To learn more about this project or to get your organization involved, please contact Mara Youdelman at [email protected].
