Access to Health Services

The National Health Law Program’s (NHeLP) Services team advocates for strengthening and expanding access to all health care services that individuals need to achieve and maintain their highest attainable standard of health. We are on the front lines working to advance policies that protect and improve coverage of health benefits in Medicaid and other insurance programs for low-income and underserved individuals. In addition, we conduct legal and policy research and provide technical assistance to advocates across the states, D.C., and the territories.

Our work emphasizes the important role that Medicaid plays in securing access to a comprehensive set of basic health services that address the particular needs of low-income people, including preventive services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder services, rehabilitative services and devices, oral and vision care, and more. In addition, we focus on advancing state and federal policies that protect the rights of children and adolescents to access preventive and treatment services under Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements. We also help stakeholders leverage Medicaid as a tool to provide holistic care to beneficiaries through benefits that guarantee care coordination and assistance to beneficiaries in accessing health-related services. 

The Services team’s work is driven by our commitment to advancing health equity by improving access to health services. Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s coverage reforms are key to reducing health disparities harming Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQI+ individuals, and people with disabilities. We work to defend Medicaid and ACA coverage policies against constant efforts to undermine them, and alongside our state partners, to ensure that states are taking advantage of opportunities to close remaining gaps in coverage and access to care that contribute to health disparities.

Intersection of Federal Policy and Services

NHeLP’s Services Practice Area advocates for improvements in coverage of services for low-income individuals, which can include expanding coverage of certain services currently unavailable and removal of harmful utilization management barriers for key services, including prior authorization and cost sharing. We work closely with our Federal Advocacy team to advance legislative and administrative actions that expand coverage requirements for states and plans. In addition, at the federal level, we advocate for administrative guidance that enables and encourages states to enforce current requirements or expand coverage of optional benefits in Medicaid and ACA-regulated plans.

 In addition to federal advocacy, NHeLP also works on access to key services in California. For more information about our California policy work, please visit our California Services page.