Our featured client, Florida Heath Justice Project, engages in comprehensive advocacy to expand healthcare access and promote health equity for vulnerable Floridians.
They actively share the stories of Floridians impacted by issues such as dealing with Medicaid, lack of long-term care resources, barriers to care for children, immigrants, the elderly, and the risk of cutbacks to the state’s Medicaid program. The Florida Health Justice Project is not only about health law and policy, it’s about the people.
Read on to learn more about how the Florida Health Justice Project does its work, the advocacy tools they use, and the issues creating barriers to their cause.
WHAT IS IT THAT FHJP DOES?
• We address the underlying issues that cause barriers to care for
groups of marginalized and vulnerable Florida populations.
HOW DO WE DO OUR WORK?
• We work in coalition with advocacy partners
• We use every tool in the advocate’s toolkit
EXAMPLES OF VULNERABLE POPULATION GROUPS/
AND THE ISSUES CREATING BARRIERS TO THEIR CARE
• Former foster care kids/ failure to enroll eligible youth
• Adopted children losing Medicaid when turning 18/ failure to do
required ex parte review
• New moms/ limit healthcare coverage (Medicaid) to only 60 days
postpartum
• Seniors needing home health services / underfunded programs creating
long waitlist and inadequate services for enrollees
• Immigrants / chilling effect of new public charge rule causing
immigrant families to forego Medicaid and other programs.
• Uninsured adults/ Florida’s failure to expand Medicaid
WHAT ARE THE ADVOCACY TOOLS FHJP USES?
• Story sharing
• Litigation
• Publish briefs & fact sheets on the impact of health law/ policy on
vulnerable Floridians
• Work with media
• Administrative advocacy including comment letters
• Legislative advocacy
• Consumer education: creating “Know Your Rights” materials and
videos
• Increasing capacity of advocacy community: providing guides,
training, and technical assistance
To learn more about The Florida Health Justice Project, visit their website at https://www.floridahealthjustice.org
