Over the past several months, we have been inspired by the efforts of so many in our health care system to protect each other's health during the pandemic and help us gradually recover. However, we are deeply concerned with the racial, ethnic and citizenship status disparities in the impact of COVID-19.

For many years, HLA has represented clients who are immigrants and have difficulty accessing health care. One impediment to health care for many immigrants is lack of health insurance coverage for the services they need. However, many immigrants are actually eligible for the coverage they need, but have been prevented from enrolling. HLA specializes in advocating for immigrants to get them into the best coverage possible.

Over the years, many of the immigrants we assisted were referred by health care providers including hospitals and health centers. So last year, we began establishing our Medical Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI) program to systematize and expand our partnerships with health care providers to assist more immigrants, more efficiently.

At our 24th Annual Benefit Breakfast in November 2019, Partners Healthcare offered a $20,000 matching gift to help get our MLPI off the ground. In response, attendees at last year's Benefit Breakfast contributed an amazing additional $35,000 on the spot. This outpouring of support helped us secure additional support in 2020 in the form of grants from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, The Clowes Fund, and The Massachusetts Bar Foundation.

This year, despite health care providers' need to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and transitioning to tele-health services, we have made significant progress establishing the MLPI.

Early in 2020, we joined with with one of our closest allies, The Rian Immigrant Center, to make the MLPI a joint effort to ensure that the program would offer both health care access law and immigration law service to clients referred by providers. Then, with special grants from The Fish Family Foundation and The Shapiro Foundation, we launched the first MLPI partnership with Boston Medical Center's Immigrant and Refugee Health Center. In July, HLA hired Kate Purrington as our Staff Attorney to manage the MLPI. In the remainder of 2020, we will work to bring the MLPI's services to other hospitals and community health centers as they transition into the "new normal."

T.C. came to the United States on a student visa and is using her life savings to advance her education. T.C. is also employed as a food service worker to support herself. In February, T.C. wasn't feeling well with a pain in her chest and difficulty breathing. As a front-line service worker, T.C. became concerned she may have become infected with COVID-19. So, to protect herself and the customers she serves, she went to her local emergency room. There, she was diagnosed with the flu.

In June, T.C. received a bill for $569 from the hospital she visited for the emergency services. T.C. knew she had health insurance on the date of service so she called the HelpLine at HLA's partner organization Health Care For All (HCFA). HCFA referred the case to HLA. HLA's Senior Staff Attorney Wells Wilkinson and Paralegal/Intake Coordinator Shannon Sullivan investigated and determined that T.C. did go without comprehensive coverage for a period of time, but did have an active plan with full benefits on the date of service. T.C.'s employer does not provide coverage to her, so she purchased a plan from the Health Connector. After exhausting their investigation with the hospital's billing office and into T.C.'s enrollment, Wells and Shannon contacted T.C.'s health plan to determine why the claim was not covered. The health plan reported that the claim had been submitted after the deadline for submission established between the insurer and provider. Wells arranged a conference call with the health insurer and provider to discuss the information about the claim denial. As a result, the hospital wiped T.C.'s balance clear.

When we asked T.C. to provide feedback on our service, which we do with every client, she wrote:

Over the years, Cy Pres awards have made a significant difference in HLA's ability to help low-income consumers access health care and defend consumers' rights. These funds serve as a vital revenue source that support HLA's efforts along with the individual and corporate contributions, grants and contracts. Please contact HLA's Executive Director, Matt Selig, at 617-275-2986 or selig@hla-inc.org if you are interested in nominating HLA for a Cy Pres award. Thank you for considering us!