The Law and Health Project

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation - 040063

Abstract Number: 040063

September 2004

The Law and Health Project is a collaborative partnership between the Southern Regional office of Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, located in Carbondale, Illinois, Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH), the region's largest hospital system, and the SIU School of Law's Elderly Clinic.  Land of Lincoln is an LSC funded legal services organization and SIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all people in the communities it serves.  The goal of the Law & Health Project is to "improve health outcomes by alleviating legal stressors." 
The Law and Health Project provides low-income, uninsured individuals with free legal services at area hospitals and health care clinics.  Having begun in 2002, this Project was the first of its kind in Illinois and one of the first such projects in this ever increasing field nationwide.  Health care providers, case managers, or social workers who work in SIH hospitals, community-based outpatient clinics, or free clinics refer low-income patients with legal issues to Land of Lincoln through an easy referral system.  When the referral is received, a staff member of Land of Lincoln goes TO THE CLIENT, either bedside in the hospital or she makes an appointment to meet the person at the free clinic.  In this way, transportation barriers are not an issue, and clients are being helped when their issues are at their most critical.  Through aggressive advocacy, the project has focused on assisting clients with obtaining government benefits such as disability, Medicaid, or Medicare. Enrolling clients in these governmental health care programs increases available medical care options, allowing clients to establish a medical home with a private physician and obtain regular primary care as well as preventative care. They can also receive medical services or prescriptions that were otherwise out of their reach due to the lack of health insurance. The project also assists clients with other barriers to improved health, including safe housing, child custody, and consumer rights.  Clients receive a range of legal services, including legal advice, referrals, and representation in court, providing the client with an advocate who works to effectively present their claim and improve their chances for a successful outcome. 
In 2002, 12 clients were served by the Law & Health Project.  In 2007, 174 clients were served and 252 administrative and legal issues were addressed.  Currently, at a minimum, clients receive legal advice to gain a better understanding of their legal rights and resolution of disputes. At the other end of the spectrum, client receive representation in court or before an administrative agency by an advocate who effectively presents their claim and improves the chances of a successful outcome.  The success of this Project continues to grow.  From when the program was initiated in 2002 through December 2006, the program had obtained federal disability benefits for 34 clients, Medicaid benefits for 32 clients, and wrote powers of attorney for 14 clients.  In 2007 alone, the program had obtained federal disability benefits for 23 clients, Medicaid benefits for 17 clients, wrote powers of attorney for 11 clients, wrote wills for 5 clients and established guardianships for 2 clients. Project staff has also obtained medical debt relief in the amount of $1,092,264, an increase of over $700,000 since 2006, and over $100,000 in back Social Security benefits for clients of the program in 2007 alone. 
This project has benefited not only the Land of Lincoln's clients but also SIH as well.  Since its inception, based on Return of Investment calculations, the known ROI for SIH has been 215%.  The known monetary Medicaid benefits per case exceeded the costs ($217) by $466 per case.  In other words, for every dollar SIH expended approximately three dollars were received back by it through cost recovery.  For more information about the inception of the project see the link below.  To further discuss this Project you may contact either of the people listed below.

Contact Information:

Lois Wood     
Executive Director     
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc. 
8787 State Street, Suite 201
East St. Louis, Illinois 62203    
(618) 398-0574     
exedir@LandofLincolnlaf.org    
    
Diane M. Goffinet
Law & Health Project Supervisor
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance
509 S. University Ave. 3rd Floor
Carbondale, IL  62901
(618) 457-7800 ext. 116                                                        
dgoffinet@lollaf.org

Additional Information:

• The Law and Health Project: A Collaborative Effort to Assist Low-Income and Uninsured Individuals ( 63k)

Updated 2008

back to top ^