It didn't take long after the January 1st for law students to arrive at The Pro Bono Project. Staff welcomed students from America University Washington College of Law during the week of January 2-6 and from University of Wisconsin Law School, January 9-13.
Read MoreClosing the Healthcare Gap: Medical-Legal Partnership Opens a New Door
Healthcare in the United States has been a major issue for the past several decades. Regardless of whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, working or retired – the cost of healthcare has escalated exponentially in the past 30 years.
In 2013, the year before the Affordable Care Act began, more than 42 million citizens were uninsured – that’s about 13% of the population. Since then, reports show that number has dropped by approximately 16.5 million people.
But what about the 25.5 million Americans that still don’t have health insurance? Many are uninsured because they still can’t afford it, are ineligible in some way or have completely opted out of the health insurance marketplace.
In most cases, these folks are using community health centers that provide basic care and offer services beyond those of pharmacy-run “minute clinics.” Most community health centers serve both the insured and uninsured. This setting has revealed the tremendous gap in healthcare delivery, which often requires a legal solution to fill.
Read MoreWhen Age and Illness Meet Legal - Anything Is Possible
Manuel* came to the clinic needing help – not medical but legal help.
He is 76 years old and has been a legal permanent resident for many years. Now, he wants to become a citizen, but he’s been afraid to apply. Because of his age and some medical conditions, he does not think he will be able to complete the exam portion of the citizenship process.
Read MoreTaking A Holiday Break At The Project
While the holiday season was busy for many people with parties and family gatherings, The Pro Bono Project was having some busy days with law students from George Washington Law, American University Washington College of Law and Columbia Law School.
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