The Medical Legal Partnership for Children: Policy Strategies for Expanding a Gateway Program

Abstract

The authors featured in Ending Poverty in America propose progressive strategies for combating poverty, including the creation of gateway programs through which the poor can obtain comprehensive services. One of these programs, the Medical Legal Partnership for Children, has effectively implemented a new kind of preventative medical care by placing lawyers alongside pediatricians to address health issues with a related legal dimension. This book review analyzes MLPC and suggests that revising the Medicaid statute and earmarking a portion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program block grant will help ensure the long-term viability of this important program.