NHeLP advocates, educates and litigates at the federal and state levels. We are on the front lines, defending health reform, protecting women's access to comprehensive reproductive health care and giving a voice to the more than 50 million low-income people who rely on Medicaid. As the health landscape faces increasing political and economic pressure, our work is more critical now than ever.
5 MILLION PEOPLE AND COUNTING, ON COURSE TO GAIN COVERAGE THROUGH THE MEDICAID EXPANSION
NHeLP has defended health reform from day one and played a pivotal role, providing the necessary technical assistance, support and expertise to state advocates and policy makers trying to make sense of the Supreme Court's 2012 Medicaid decision. The potential impact is huge -- up to 17 million low-income people could qualify for Medicaid coverage if every state expands its program in 2014. Nearly 5.5 million people are already on their way to coverage in the 23 states that have moved to expand their programs, and NHeLP is fighting to make expansion happen everywhere. For states that expand, NHeLP is also focusing on implementing the complex new Medicaid regulations and benefits packages, including developing a comprehensive step-by-step guide that walks advocates through the new rules and strategies for improving Medicaid expansion services in their state.
8 NHeLP AMICUS BRIEFS FILED DEFENDING WOMEN'S HEALTH
NHeLP knows that the right to health care can never be fully realized unless all women have real access to all the services they need. Health reform represented a huge advance for women's health and the promise of affordable contraception for women of all income levels. Yet more than three years later, women are under siege from employers and universities who demand that their religious beliefs determine who has access to birth control. At stake: the health care decisions of more than 2 million women and adolescents, including more than 950,000 students in Catholic universities and more than 640,000 workers at Catholic hospitals alone. Our response is simple: all women need access to affordable health care, regardless of where they work or go to school. We are not stopping until this is a reality. That is why we have filed 8 amicus briefs on behalf of a dozen allies and 4 comment letters to Health and Human Services on regulations that could make it hard for women to have access to birth control.
40,000 CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE THEY NEED
NHeLP and co-counsel reached a significant and long-awaited Settlement Agreement in Katie A. v. Bonta, offering needed services to the more than 40,000 children in California's foster care system. The settlement ended a nearly decade-long class action federal lawsuit and will ensure children and youth in foster care or at risk of coming into foster care have access to mental health services in their homes and communities. Under the settlement, two new mental health services are now available to these children and youth: Intensive Care Coordination and Intensive Home Based Services. NHeLP was extensively involved in crafting the settlement and developing a Documentation Manual and Practice Guide that describe a system that helps coordinate both mental health and social services for these minors to help prevent institutionalization. The impact is significant not only in terms of the number of youth affected, but the joint leadership between state agencies that have historically operated separately to serve children and families.