Juris Doctor degree and a Massachusetts legal license
2+ years of legal or non-profit experience as an attorney
Organized and efficient with case management skills
Experience representing immigrant clients in health care legal matters is strongly desired
Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese preferred, other languages welcome
Familiarity with Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and consumer protection laws is a plus
Public policy advocacy experience in health care is advantageous.
Responsibilities
Provide legal representation to immigrant clients, addressing health care access issues
Negotiate and communicate with health care officials and manage case appeals
Collaborate with Family Resource Centers staff and clients to navigate health coverage changes
Conduct trainings and consultations for community organizations and partners
Manage MLPI partnerships and facilitate client referrals with healthcare providers
Analyze legal cases and participate in relevant litigation events
Advocate for policy changes to improve health care access for marginalized communities.
Benefits
401(k) or Roth 401(k) with employer contributions after one year
HMO and PPO medical insurance options with employer contribution
Dental and vision insurance included
Generous paid time off total of 54 days per year
Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care
Life insurance at 2x salary, with long-term disability coverage
Taxable reimbursement for independent health insurance coverage.
Full Job Description
Staff Attorney, FRC's and MLPI Access to Care and Coverage Practice
The Staff Attorney for the Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and Medical-Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI) will advance HLA's critical mission by:
Delivering consultations and trainings to FRC staff and clients to help them navigate access to affordable health care and, particularly, new barriers caused by federal actions that restrict coverage and eligibility for public health care programs; and
Supporting the Supervising Attorney for HLA's Immigrant Initiative to manage our MLPI partnerships with hospitals and community health centers, as well as represent immigrant clients referred by these partners.
Fifty percent of the Staff Attorney's time will be dedicated to each of these projects.
Duties and Responsibilities Provide legal representation to clients, especially those referred by MLPI and FRC partners (45%)
Serve as the legal representative for income qualified clients. Most clients will be immigrant patients referred through our MLPI partnerships. A limited number of clients will be identified through our work with the MLPI cases typically involve immigrant clients unjustly denied enrollment in comprehensive health insurance coverage. Other matters may include denials of coverage for specific medical services, unaffordable medical bills, or other health access barriers.
Represent clients in communications and negotiations with MassHealth and Health Connector officials, health care providers, managed care entities, and in appeals before the Office of Medicaid Board of Hearings.
Analyze medical, health insurance and other relevant records as Conduct legal research and writing.
Work with clients and, where relevant, their families, social services providers, medical providers, and other parties to challenge health care obstacles.
Manage case files and promptly document all activities in our case management software.
As needed, participate in litigation on cases involving immigrant access issues, state court appeals of final MassHealth determinations, or other health access matters.
Project management, community engagement, and training (40%)
Family Resource Center (FRC) Project
Support Family Resource Centers - a statewide network of local organizations that support children and families, especially those experiencing issues arising from mental health challenges - to navigate changes to public health coverage programs caused by new federal laws, regulations, and policies.
Collaborate closely with the ACC team's FRC Fellow - a full-time position dedicated to supporting the FRCs with training, outreach, and engagement regarding changes to health coverage programs caused by new federal laws and policies - to do the following:
Conduct regular clinics for FRC staff and clients - both in-person and virtually - to provide consultations and case support around access to health programs and navigating other barriers to medical care.
Deliver trainings, presentations, and information sessions to FRC staff and clients about the impact of federal laws and policies on access to health care and coverage.
Participate in data collection and reporting on FRC project work and outcomes.
Assist with communicating and coordinating referrals to key partners who can help clients navigate legal barriers that HLA does not address (e.g. immigration legal services, housing law, employment law, etc.).
Directly represent a limited number of FRC clients facing health care legal barriers who are identified through the clinics.
Medical-Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI)
Collaborate with and take direction from the Supervising Attorney for the Immigrant Health Initiative to manage HLA's MLPI, a project that serves immigrant clients referred by our MLPI partners at hospitals and community health centers.
Assist the Supervising Attorney with establishing and maintaining intake and referral processes, data collection, reporting on MLPI cases and outcomes, and participating in MLPI program development.
Participate in meetings with our MLPI medical provider partners to build relationships and facilitate case referrals.
Offer case consultations to our MLPI partners regarding immigrant patients' access to care.
Coordinate our cases and services with other key partners such as the Rian Immigrant Center.
Develop and deliver trainings for our MLPI provider partners regarding access to health care benefits for immigrant patients.
Advocate for Policies that Remove Barriers to Care and Coverage (8%)
Identify patterns of problems across cases and, alongside other HLA staff and advocacy partners, develop and deliver policy proposals to address these health access barriers.
Attend coalition meetings with state officials and participate in strategy development and information sharing with the HLA team and partner organizations.
Serve as HLA's point person on select health policy matters, especially those involving immigrants or FRC clients.
Administrative (7%)
Serve as "ACC Triage Attorney" for intake and ready-to-assign lists for a month-long tenure approximately twice per In partnership with the ACC Director, the responsibilities of the Triage Attorney include:
Reviewing case documentation and release forms for all cases newly added to our ready-to-assign lists during the month, as well as other intake cases as time permits.
Identifying relevant deadlines and urgent case matters that require immediate attention; taking action to address those matters.
Delivering a Triage case presentation at our weekly Docket meeting focused on cases that may require immediate attention.
Identifying cases that need additional information or documentation.
Collaborating with paralegals to prepare cases for referral to HLA's Legal Network or other legal services organizations.
Assist with interviewing and onboarding new ACC staff as needed.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
All HLA employees are expected to have the skills to:
Work both independently and as an effective team member.
Collaborate with and support staff at all levels of our organization.
Communicate clearly and professionally.
Demonstrate empathy and sensitivity while working directly with clients encountering crises.
Maintain confidentiality and, for attorneys, strict adherence to all professional responsibility requirements for the practice of law.
Demonstrate intellectual curiosity, openness, and the desire and ability to listen and learn.
Understand and believe in the mission of the organization.
Embody the values of the organization, including a commitment to decreasing inequity in our health care system and society as a whole.
Additional qualifications specific to this position are:
Juris Doctor degree and a license to practice law in Massachusetts.
2+ years of experience in the legal or non-profit space as a practicing attorney.
Access to a car and ability to travel to Family Resources Centers across Massachusetts.
Experience in direct legal services or representing immigrant clients, particularly regarding health care legal matters, is strongly desired.
Ability to speak and write in Spanish or Portuguese is highly preferred, although other languages are also welcome.
Experience working with state and federal health care coverage and consumer protection laws, particularly Medicaid/MassHealth, the Affordable Care Act and M.G.L. c. 93A, is a plus.
Organized and efficient, capable of managing multiple cases with competing priorities.
Ability to work in a team environment while also being a proactive self-starter.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to communicate complicated health care and public health concepts in an accessible and culturally appropriate manner.
Public policy development or policy advocacy experience, preferably relating to health care policy is a plus.
Salary Range
$79,000 - $84,000 Benefits
Retirement Plans
401(k) or Roth 401(k) retirement plans with a variable employer Employer contributions start after one year of service.
Your contributions vest immediately
Medical Insurance
HMO and PPO Options with a generous employer contribution
Dental and Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off
20 vacation days per year
3 personal days per year
15 sick days per year
12 paid holidays per year
1 birthday day per year
3 volunteer days per year
That's a total of 54 days paid days of leave per year!
Medical and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
FSAs allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars for health care and dependent care expenses
Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Life insurance at 2x your salary with a maximum of $400,000. The benefit is doubled in the event of accidental death.
Long-term disability benefit that covers 60% of salary after 90 days of disability
Outside Health Insurance Reimbursement
If you obtain health insurance elsewhere (typically through a parent, spouse or domestic partner), you are eligible for a taxable reimbursement.
To Apply
Our standard process is for applications to be submitted online at: / where you will upload a resume and cover letter. A cover letter is required.
