Health Care Reform Field Clinic

Catalog description

The ongoing controversy surrounding Obamacare (aka 'the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010') highlights the range of opinions regarding the proper role of public and private sectors in financing and delivering health care services. It also deeply implicates the individual's relationship to government, doctors, and the medical-industrial complex. As America continues its century of experimentation with different health insurance models, our government now seeks to reduce costs, increase quality, and improve access to care. But how are individual consumers affected by these various reforms at the Federal and State level? This clinic puts students on the front lines of these historic changes. Students will be placed with dynamic non-profit organizations providing education, advice, and representation to low-income consumers facing problems accessing health care. Past placements include the Legal Aid Society, Medicare Rights Center, and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. Students will advocate on behalf of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries denied benefits and services with administrative agencies and in appeals; provide seniors technical assistance in Part D drug plans; help frame, research and conduct community education and legislative initiatives; and research and write in support of impact litigation.