Health Care/Health Reform

Will health reform help those at the bottom of the ladder? Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, states were required to expand their Medicaid programs in 2014 to cover people below 133% of the federal poverty level, adding millions of additional low-income adults and children to the Medicaid rolls. In its June 2012 decision, however, the Supreme Court said the mandate unconstitutionally coerces the states and that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cannot withhold all federal Medicaid funding from states that do not implement the expansion. Some governors have announced their states will not expand Medicaid, leaving millions of low-income Americans uninsured.

Of immediate concern, many states are now violating federal law when they delay or deny Medicaid benefits – and that’s what makes NCLEJ’s current litigation program so critical. Countless families across the country have already had their Medicaid saved by NCLEJ and its partners.

As health reform is implemented, NCLEJ is prepared to work with advocates, community groups, and state officials to ensure that the programs operate efficiently and truly serve those who are eligible for care. We are prepared to work with advocates and community groups to ensure that states do not violate the law – even if this means going to court to stop them. In all of these efforts, we focus on results that make real differences for our clients.

We welcome inquiries from advocates about how we may work collaboratively to achieve the most for those with the least. Feel free to contact us.