Medical Legal Partnerships: Helping those with Substance Use Disorders – a FACT SHEET by the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association

Medical legal partnerships (MLPs) integrate lawyers into the health care setting to assist physicians, case managers, and social workers in addressing the factors that influence a patient’s social determinates of health and reducing the treatment disparity within communities. A total of 333 health entities, including hospitals and health systems, children’s hospitals, Health Resources and Services Administration -funded health centers, and Veterans Affairs medical centers, have developed MLPs in 46 states.  When legal services are combined with medical care to address the social needs of patients, studies show that patients: (1) are admitted to the hospital less frequently; (2) are more likely to take their medications as prescribed; (3) report lower levels of stress and experience improvements in mental health; and (4) spend less money on health care services because they are going to the hospital less and investing more in preventative care. Additionally, with MLPs, clinical services are more frequently reimbursed by public or private payers due to MLPs’ assistance with health insurance access.

Read the Fact Sheet.