An Organization of Expert Health Care Litigators and Policy Advocates
Founded in 1969, the National Health Law Program fights to protect and expand health rights of low-income individuals, families and underserved communities.
Our mission has evolved to include robust policy work in the nation’s capital and in states across the country, in addition to our work as litigators. As a facet of comprehensive health care, the National Health Law Program has expanded our work to protect and advance the reproductive health rights of low-income women, who are constantly under attack from conservative lawmakers and a well-funded activist movement bent on harming women’s access to quality, comprehensive health care.
Established in California, a sizable portion of our work focuses on expanding access to and improving the quality of Medi-Cal, the country’s largest state Medicaid program, which can have ramifications nationwide.
Litigation
Litigation: Protecting Health Rights
Medicaid is a foundational social program that provides health care for 89 million individuals and families. Medicaid is reliable and efficient, and an overwhelming majority of beneficiaries strongly approve of the health care they receive.
The National Health Law Program is there when problems arise. When access to care is denied or government agencies fail to provide adequate care, then we are prepared to litigate to protect the rights of those who are least able to advocate for themselves.
Policy
Policy: Expanding Health Rights
Our policy team works hand-in-hand with the litigation team to strengthen and expand laws that we fight to protect every day. Our team of health care policy experts helps shape and influence legislation at the federal and state level to better serve the unique health care needs of underserved communities.
We have made Medicaid more inclusive, and the National Health Law Program was instrumental in crafting the Affordable Care Act’s ban against discrimination in health care. From issue briefs to model legislation, testimony before lawmakers, our experts compile, analyze, shape, and advance evidence-based health care policy.
California
California: Leading the Way
The largest state in the U.S., California operates the most far-reaching Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. California is an incubator for progressive health care reform that acts as a model for other states. By working intensively on issues related to Medi-Cal, National Health Law Program positions itself on the forefront of progressive health care reform nationwide.
Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health: Demanding Justice
Access to comprehensive reproductive health care is a persistent challenge for tens of millions of people. Conservative lawmakers at the state and federal level are ushering in more draconian restrictions on both access to and insurance coverage for abortion and contraception. The burden of these regulations fall disproportionately on low-income and underserved communities. The National Health Law Program is dedicated to expanding access to family planning and abortion services through battling religious restrictions, defending Medicaid, and working to ensure that every person has access to comprehensive reproductive health care.
