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.