The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School has a special focus on infectious disease and access to health care services that promote public health in Massachusetts.
CHLPI publishes a variety of factsheets and other resources to help health care providers, community-based organizations, and the general public navigate coverage for infectious disease prevention, care, and treatment.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
The following updates highlight certain steps taken by Massachusetts officials to respond to COVID-19. The updates are not exhaustive and the policy landscape is evolving rapidly. For more information, please review specific department websites.
Supreme Court Lifts Injunction, Permits New Public Charge Rules to Take Effect
As of January 27, 2020, the United States Supreme Court lifted the injunction on new public charge regulations.
New federal regulations concerning the immigration law concept of “public charge” took effect on February 24, 2020. These rules have already caused fear and confusion for immigrants and organizations providing care and services to immigrants about using public benefits. The resource below provides an overview of some key facts about the new public charge rules. For more detailed information, including about health care and benefits available to immigrants during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as resources available in multiple languages, we highly recommend visiting the Protecting Immigrant Families campaign website.
CHLPI, together with partners, is developing resources to support access to care during COVID-19 and ensure an equitable response.
For people who are covered under someone else’s health insurance plan, a Massachusetts law called the PATCH Act (for Protecting Access To Confidential Healthcare) may help keep information about health services they receive private. The resource below provides more information about the PATCH Act and how it works, as well as a sample script that can be used for contacting health insurance companies.
These tools provide an overview of coverage for key services in Massachusetts in order to give health care providers quick access to basic coverage information and help inform discussions with patients.
Many health insurance plans must cover the entire cost of certain preventive health care services and cannot impose a financial contribution (e.g., a co-payment or other “out-of-pocket” payment) on patients. These factsheets provide an overview of coverage for specific preventive services.
CHLPI answers common questions about prior authorization requirements for hepatitis C virus treatment in the Massachusetts Medicaid program and dispels myths that create barriers to care.
CHLPI is also active in other public health and health care initiatives in Massachusetts, including:
These resources explain how the Massachusetts 911 Good Samaritan law can protect people from drug-related charges if they seek help for themselves or someone else who is overdosing. Available in poster and pocket card formats, and in English and Spanish.
