Pennsylvania Health Law Project

PHLP aims to make sure all Pennsylvanians have access to quality, affordable health care coverge. We provide free legal services to people having trouble getting or keeping publicly-funded health coverage and services, such as Medicaid.

For more than 25 years, we have worked tirelessly to advance the health care rights of our clients. We do this by providing legal representation to help clients keep Medicaid coverage and services; engaging in community education and outreach to consumers, advocates, and health care providers; and advocating for policies that best address our clients' healthcare needs and protect their legal rights.

Through our Helpline, PHLP serves thousands of individuals from across the state each year. We listen to our a client's story and we translate their personal experience into a legal problem to be solved. Sometimes that means challenging a decision to deny or stop Medicaid benefits. We also challenge Medicaid plans when they reduce or deny services.

Taking what we learn from individual cases, we advocate for large-scale policy changes that help others across the state. We also build capacity among consumers, providers, and other advocates by getting out in the community to provide education and training. Using the law and advocacy, we ensure that Pennsylvanians meet their most basic needs and have a pathway to opportunity.

As a statewide organization, we help clients from all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. We have offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. To reach our Helpline, call 1-800-274-3258 on Monday or Wednesday from 8 AM to 8 PM.

In 2021, PHLP provided free legal services to over 2,000 Pennsylvanians who needed help accessing health care. These cases range in nature and scope, from Medicaid eligiblity to Waiver personal assistance service denials; from brief advice through our Helpline to representation in court.

We are incredibly proud of everything we’ve accomplished throughout the pandemic, but there is still more work to be done and, despite the ongoing pandemic, our mission will not be placed on hold. In 2022, we will continue providing free legal services to those who call us for assistance, delivering community education materials and trainings, and engaging in systemic advocacy that works towards solutions that promise the most to those in need.