Advocacy
Policy Update: Creating healthy futures for Illinoisans
The fight for health justice continues in Illinois with many bills to protect and expand access to healthy futures in Illinois.
Read MoreEarly Intervention Pilot Study for Lead-Exposed Kids
Last week, Huffington Post featured Legal Council’s first-of-its-kind Early Intervention (E.I) pilot for infants and toddlers. The pilot provides lead-exposed kids with the support they need to overcome potential learning disabilities and developmental delays before they go to school. As of right now there are only 18 states that offer automatic eligibility for E.I to lead-exposed kids “despite…
Read MoreNew Program Gives Justice-Involved Persons Living with Serious Mental Illness Free Legal Support
Justice-involved individuals living with serious mental illness now have access to civil legal assistance, thanks to a new partnership between Legal Council for Health Justice and Thresholds. Under the partnership, individuals with serious mental illness who are served by Thresholds’ Justice Program now have access to free, trauma-informed benefits advocacy. Individuals with serious mental illness…
Read MoreLegal Council partner Dr. Hamp receives high honor
Longtime Legal Council advocate and friend Dr. Nicole Hamp recently was awarded the Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Nicole Hamp, Ann Hilton Fisher Advocate Award honoree, and Larry Yellen, Gala host, at Legal Council’s 30th Anniversary Gala, Oct. 13, 2018. Hamp received this exceptional honor for her work…
Read MoreNew publication: Advocating for automatic eligibility for EI services
Legal Council’s Children and Families Partnerships Director Amy Zimmerman recently published a special issue article titled “Advocating for Automatic Eligibility for Early Intervention Services for Children Exposed to Lead.” The article was co-authored with Dr. Nicole Hamp, a third-year pediatric resident at our medical-legal partnership site Comer Children’s Hospital, and Jessica Hoffen, former Legal Council…
Read MorePatient Advocates vs. Trump Administration
Patient advocates and other healthcare groups filed a lawsuit in federal court on Sept. 14 to block the Trump administration from “expanding the availability of short-term health plans that don’t offer a full set of benefits,” according to a piece in the LA Times. The administration has been trying to diminish patient security brought by the Affordable Care…
Read MoreOur Advocates Never Sleep: Program Director Receives Public Health Advocacy Award
Congratulations to Amy Zimmerman, Legal Council’s Director of Children & Families Partnerships, for receiving the Public Health Advocacy Award this past week! Amy Zimmerman (middle) with two representatives from IPHA at IPHA’s 77th Annual Conference, Sept. 5-7, 2018. The Illinois Public Health Association’s Public Health Advocacy Award is awarded to an advocate whose outstanding accomplishments…
Read MorePaying the price of HIV
Chicago resident Jared Wile can no longer afford his $1,600/month HIV prevention medication. Up until a few months ago, Jared never had to pay any out-of-pocket costs. Instead, he used a copay coupon to cover the costs of the medicine PrEP, an HIV prevention medication that, when taken daily, is proven to be 90% effective in preventing HIV. But in May, Jared learned that he could no longer use the copay coupon for the medication.
Read MorePolicy Update: Legal Council Advocacy Victories
May was a busy month for the legal experts here at Legal Council for Health Justice. When we weren’t serving and empowering low-income people with chronic illnesses or disabilities at over a dozen on-site clinics across the city, or suing the State of Illinois on behalf of thousands of Illinoisans wrongfully delayed or denied Medicaid coverage, OR leading advocacy efforts in the State Board of Education investigation into CPS’ special education program and procedural violations, our team was hard at work advocating for numerous policies across the State.
Read MoreLegal Council Advocates VS. CPS Special Education
After a public inquiry team, led by the Illinois State Board of Education, spent the last five months investigating Chicago Public Schools’ Special Education policies and practices and found significant and unnecessary delays and denials in services, the Board voted Wednesday to approve an independent monitor to oversee CPS as it works to implement changes.
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