Medical-Legal Partnerships: How Legal Services can Dramatically Improve Health Outcomes, and the Missed Opportunity to Help Women Seeking Abortions

There are significant health disparities in the United States, with low-income and minority Americans experiencing higher rates of chronic disease and autoimmune disorders. Research has firmly established that social factors - such as malnutrition, limited access to healthcare, and safe housing - play a critical role in these health disparities. Medical-Legal Partnerships are a relatively new approach to improving the health of people living in poverty by addressing the root causes of these health-harming social factors. This article discusses the benefits of Medical-Legal Partnerships and argues for continued expansion of the model, particularly in pediatricians' offices, because parents are more likely to seek medical care for their children than themselves. This article further discusses how legal constraints prevent federal funding for Medical-Legal Partnerships in abortion clinics; this creates a missed opportunity to work with women who are seeking abortions, many of whom face considerable social and economic challenges that could be addressed through legal assistance. This article digs into the legal restrictions that create this missed opportunity and proposes potential solutions to better serve the vulnerable population of abortion-seeking women.