Charleston Legal Access is partnering with Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services and MUSC to bring a Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) to patients experiencing negative health outcomes due to a legal issue. We hope to improve community health and increase access to justice for those experiencing health challenges due to their social environments.
According to the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, studies show that when legal expertise and services are used to address social needs:
People with chronic illnesses are healthier and admitted to the hospital less frequently, saving health care costs (1)
People more commonly take their medications as prescribed (2)
People report less stress and experience improvements in mental health (3)
People have access to greater financial resources: one MLP program recovered $300,000 in back benefits for families over a three-year period (4)
Click image for PDF MLP Informational Handout
Medical-Legal Partnerships allow attorneys to work alongside doctors and social workers to address and prevent health-harming civil legal barriers that may be impacting one’s quality of life and health outcomes.
Imagine you have a young child who is experiencing frequent asthma attacks, but you don’t have health insurance. With your sick child in hand, you stop in the emergency room as often as once a week to ensure your child feels better. During one of these appointments, the doctor refers you to a free or low-cost attorney, who learns your family is living in a home with mold and the landlord refuses to address the mold. Your attorney assists you with ending your lease with no penalties which allow you to then move into a home with no mold issues. Over time, you notice your trips to the ER for your child’s asthma have significantly decreased. This is a prime example of how access to an attorney can improve health outcomes for patients seeking healthcare for issues that can be remedied by a healthy environment.
Charleston Legal Access and Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services are working alongside Dr. Angela LaRosa and Amy Hauser of MUSC to pilot the MLP within Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. We would also like to thank the entire MLP team in Greenville for their support in the creation of a Medical-Legal Partnership in Charleston.
To learn more, please reach out to any of the partners of this exciting new initiative.
Article: SC Lawyer “Sharpest Tool in a Doctor’s Toolkit: Medical Legal Partnerships in South Carolina” by Kirby Mitchell & Lori Horst (page 49-53)
Sources:
“Impact of Medical Legal Partnerships.” The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. Medical-Legal Partnership, October 28, 2020. https://medical-legalpartnership.org/impact/.
About Charleston Legal Access
Charleston Legal Access is SC's first and only sliding-scale, nonprofit law firm. We provide affordable legal services at a price that those of moderate means can afford. Hourly rates are determined on an individual basis by a client's income and family size. Our initial screening and phone consultations with an attorney are completely free. In-person, 1-2 hour case consultations and limited assistance sessions are available for a flat fee of $50-$100. For more information please visit www.charlestonlegalaccess.org.
With client fees only making up 15% of our operational budget and a rise in demand for services, we are seeking like-minded partners to support our cause. Help us expand access to justice and legal representation by making a tax-deductible donation below.