Description

This article draws upon national survey data and field research to identify three models of the medical-legal partnership that health care organizations have adopted and the core elements of infrastructure that they share. The medical-legal partnership is a collaborative intervention that embeds civil legal aid professionals in health care settings to address seemingly intractable social problems that contribute to poor health outcomes and health disparities. More than three hundred health care organizations are home to medical-legal partnerships. Financing and commitment from health care organizations are key considerations for sustaining and scaling up the medical-legal partnership as a health equity intervention. One partnership’s for legal services is incorporated into Medicaid’s per member per month payment rate; partnerships in Indiana, Oregon, and California are testing innovative models for legal services through Medicaid managed care contracts to improve health outcomes.