Medical-Legal Partnerships: Addressing the Unmet Legal Needs of Health Center Patients

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs), now available at over 180 hospitals and health centers across 38 states, are an important option for addressing the legal needs affecting low-income and vulnerable patients, and thereby improving their overall health. We estimate that each year, anywhere between 50 and 85 percent of health centers users - or between ten and 17 million people - experience unmet legal needs, many of which negatively impact their health. In a medical-legal partnership, health care staff at hospitals, clinics, and other sites are trained to screen for health-related legal issues, refer the patient to an affiliated lawyer or legal services team as necessary, and work with the attorney to resolve problems that impact patient health. Medical-legal partnerships assist patients with securing health care and other public benefits, addressing housing issues and family problems, and other concerns that can affect one\u27s health and are often more successfully remedied through legal, rather than medical, channels. This brief examines the role medical-legal partnerships can play in addressing the unmet legal needs negatively affecting the health of health center patients