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This entry was published on 2014-09-22
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SECTION 22
Health-related legal services program
Public Health (PBH) CHAPTER 45, ARTICLE 1, TITLE 2
§ 22. Health-related legal services program. 1. As used in this
section, "health-related legal services program" means a program that is
a collaboration between health care service providers and legal services
programs to provide on site legal services without charge to assist, on
a voluntary basis, income eligible patients and their families to
resolve legal matters or needs that have an impact on patient health or
are created or aggravated by a patient's health. For the purpose of this
section, legal matters may include, but shall not be limited to:

(a) housing, including utilities;

(b) public or private health insurance coverage;

(c) employment and eligibility for employment benefits;

(d) government benefits;

(e) immigration;

(f) family law, including, but not limited to, domestic violence,
guardianship, custody, and child support;

(g) advance planning, including, but not limited to, wills, health
care proxies, powers of attorney and permanency planning;

(h) special education; and

(i) debtor and creditor issues.

2. The department may designate health-related legal services programs
that comply with standards and guidelines established for such programs.
The department shall work with legal services organizations, community
health advocacy organizations, hospitals, diagnostic and treatment
centers and other primary and specialty health care providers, to
establish standards and guidelines for health-related legal services
programs that are designated under this section.

3. A health-related legal services program designated under this
section shall be a not-for-profit entity operated by or affiliated with
one or more legal services organizations, law schools, social services
organizations, or health care providers, and it shall comply with the
standards, guidelines and regulations under this section, and have
demonstrated ability and experience to provide high quality
health-related legal services meeting the needs of the population to be
served.