2005: Helping Two Million Children in Florida Access Medical Care
In 2005, children enrolled in Medicaid in Florida faced severe difficulties in obtaining medical and dental care, including long wait times and travel distances for appointments with specialists. We filed a case with co-counsel Boies, Schiller and Flexner LLP on behalf of the Florida Pediatric Society, the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and twelve families with children who were enrolled in Florida’s Medicaid program. The case proceeded as a class action on behalf of approximately two million children eligible for Medicaid. During trial, the Law Center proved that hundreds of thousands of children, including newborns, did not receive even one of the check-ups they need in a year. After over ten years of litigation, the parties reached a settlement in 2016. Under the agreement, Medicaid providers in Florida can now receive higher payments for treating children on Medicaid, which has significantly increased the numbers of physicians and dentists, including specialists, who will accept Medicaid patients. As a result, hundreds of thousands more children in Florida have access to high-quality medical and dental care. Read more.
Now: Taking On Gun Violence
In Philadelphia, gun violence is an epidemic. Last year, in addition to the 249 Philadelphians killed in shootings, over 1,100 people were shot and survived, leaving many with lifelong disabilities or medical costs. This violence does not affect everyone in the city equally: nearly 85 percent of shooting victims last year were black, and gun violence is the leading cause of death for black men and youth in Philadelphia between the ages of 15 and 34. About one in every 10 shooting victims in Philadelphia is a teenager or a child. The majority of this violence is carried out with easily accessible handguns. We spent much of 2018 conducting research on gun violence and working to develop new approaches to regulating firearms on the local level under Pennsylvania’s current gun laws. We also joined a coalition of education and gun control organizations to file an amicus brief in a challenge to Tamaqua school district’s policy of arming school personnel. Read more.
Next: Preserving Medicaid in Pennsylvania
In 2018, we joined with healthcare advocates across the state to oppose bills implementing work requirements for Medicaid, and in October, Governor Tom Wolf vetoed them. These restrictions are simply healthcare cuts in disguise and do nothing to help people find living wage jobs. We have no doubt that efforts to further restrict programs that benefit low-income families will continue, and we will do all we can to make sure these punitive and pointless policies will never become a reality in Pennsylvania. Read more.
50 Years of Fighting for Justice
Explore our history and our work today in each of our practice areas.
