Sec. 2. Findings

614 words·~3 min read·/bill/117/hr/3950/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress makes the following findings: Medical-Legal Partnerships (hereinafter referred to as MLPs) are holistic care models that integrate legal expertise and services into health care settings or delivery systems to address underpinning social and legal needs that negatively affect the health outcomes of veterans and their families. MLPs build upon the traditional legal clinic model by leveraging the unique, historical collaborations between legal services organizations and medical providers.

Among other things, MLPs screen for, and then aim to resolve legal issues veterans present, that may include income security issues, unsafe housing, impending evictions, family law matters, benefit concerns, elder abuse, and guardianship issues. Especially during the COVID–19 pandemic, these needs were also shown to have direct implication on population health and the stability of our economy. In addition to providing direct legal services, MLPs help to improve quality and increase value in health care delivery systems by engaging in activities such as trainings for clinical teams and helping health care providers optimize their services.

MLPs have experienced steady growth and reach since they were first developed in the mid-1990s. In 2020 alone, some 450 MLPs in 49 States helped more than 75,000 individuals resolve health-harming legal needs. In recent years, MLPs have flourished as effective models of care for veterans. Veterans are disproportionately at higher risk for health problems, many of which are exacerbated by unmet social and legal needs. The percentage of veterans who have at least one disability is double that of non-veterans, and 41 percent of veterans have mental health conditions such as depression, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder.

Veterans are also at higher risk of having legal issues, with one recent study finding an average of 1.5 legal issues per veteran. The most common civil legal needs included lack of access to VA benefits, custodial issues, and housing issues like eviction. Unmet legal needs are particularly harmful to the more than 1.7 million veterans with family incomes below 125 percent of Federal poverty level. In fact, a 2017 analysis found that civil legal problems related to veterans’ issues affected 13 percent of low-income households with veterans or other military personnel.

For these households, the most common legal problems were in the areas of health or health care, consumer finance issues, and employment. MLPs have proven to be a successful model of addressing issues related to veteran care. One study found that Veterans who received treatment at MLPs showed significant mental health improvement and even improvements in their housing and income. Additionally, MLPs have been found to decrease readmission rates, length of inpatient hospital stays, and visits to the emergency room.

In Indiana, a 2018 grant from Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs made possible an MLP between Veteran Health Indiana and Indiana Legal Services, Inc. and enabled veterans to access critical civil legal services they may not otherwise have received. A study assessed 4 MLPs in Connecticut and New York and found that 75 percent of veterans reached their legal goal in the one-year study period, and in the first three months, those who received full legal representation showed significant reductions in symptoms of hostility, paranoia, psychosis, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

In 2017, a study designed to evaluate an MLP at UMass Memorial Hospital found that patients referred by healthcare workers to Legal Aid commonly had other legal problems which the attorneys could also help them address and 86 percent of clients said they would use the program again. Currently, the overwhelming majority of MLPs operate in Federal veteran’s facilities. States operate hundreds of veteran’s homes, treatment facilities, and support programs that do not have MLPs or access to civil legal providers.