HB4923 - DHFS-MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP

1 Co-Sponsor

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health (the Departments), shall establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal partnerships that provide legal services without charge to assist low-income individuals and families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a negative impact on their health. Provides that to be eligible for a grant under the program, a medical-legal partnership must demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. Requires selected medical-legal partnerships to also comply with standards and guidelines established by the Departments. Requires the Departments to seek input from legal services organizations, community health advocacy organizations, hospitals, and other health care providers in establishing such standards and guidelines. Provides that grant amounts may be used to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships to provide patients with wraparound services related to housing instability or homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance use treatment. Provides that grant amounts may also be awarded to establish medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. Provides that Community health centers, private or public hospitals, nonprofit legal aid organizations, behavioral health facilities, and other specified entities may apply for program grants. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department to apply for all federal approvals and waivers necessary to cover wraparound services provided by medical-legal partnerships to medical assistance recipients who have chronic health conditions and health-harming social and legal needs. Creates the Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund under the State Finance Act.