The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI) has a special focus on infectious disease and access to health care services that promote public health in Massachusetts.
CHLPI publishes a variety of factsheets and other resources to help health care providers, community-based organizations, and the general public navigate coverage for infectious disease prevention, care, and treatment.
Resources
At a Glance Guides
These tools provide an overview of coverage for key services in Massachusetts in order to give health care providers quick access to basic coverage information and help inform discussions with patients.
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2024
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2024
- HIV PrEP At A Glance 2022
Insurance Coverage & Infectious Disease Services in Massachusetts
These factsheets provide an overview of coverage for various services, with a focus on infectious disease.
- FAQs: Accessing PrEP in Massachusetts (2024)
- Paying for PrEP (2023)
- Telehealth & Infectious Disease Service Providers
- Frequently Asked Questions: Prior Authorization for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment
- New MassHealth Copay Policies: Implications for Infectious Disease Services (July 2020)
911 Good Samaritan Resources
These resources explain how the Massachusetts 911 Good Samaritan law can protect people from drug-related charges if they seek help for themselves or someone else who is overdosing. Available in poster and pocket card formats, and in English and Spanish.
- Good Sam Poster (8.5″ x 11″)
- Good Sam Poster (11″ x 17″)
- Good Sam Pocket Card
- Good Sam Poster in Spanish (8.5″ x 11″)
- Good Sam Poster in Spanish (11″ x 17″)
- Good Sam Pocket Card in Spanish
Archived Materials
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2023
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2023
- FAQs: Accessing PrEP in Massachusetts (2023)
- Massachusetts Transgender Health Coalition: Guiding Principles for Gender-Affirming Care in the time of COVID-19 Information for Trans, NonBinary, and Gender-Diverse Patients (For Patients)
- Massachusetts Transgender Health Coalition: Guiding Principles for Gender-Affirming Care in the time of COVID-19 Information for Trans, NonBinary, and Gender-Diverse Patients (For Providers)
- Massachusetts Transgender Health Coalition: Guiding Principles for Gender-Affirming Care in the time of COVID-19 Information for Trans, NonBinary, and Gender-Diverse Patients (For Insurers)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Coverage of Telehealth Services for COVID-19 and Other Treatment
- Hepatitis C Treatment At a Glance 2022
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2022
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2021
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2021
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2020
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2020
- HIV PrEP At A Glance 2020
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2018
- Latent TB Infection At A Glance 2018
- Hepatitis C Treatment At A Glance 2017
- HIV PrEP At A Glance 2017
- Qualified Health Plan Analysis
Keeping Health Information Private:
- PrEP for Minors
Massachusetts has a new law that allows minors to provide full legal consent for PrEP. The consent of a parent or legal guardian is not required. Unless a health care provider believes that the minor’s “life or limb is endangered,” the health care provider cannot share information about PrEP and PrEP-related services with anyone absent the minor’s written consent or a judicial order. This also means minors accessing PrEP have additional privacy protections under Massachusetts’ PATCH Act.
- The PATCH Act
For people who are covered under someone else’s health insurance plan, a Massachusetts law called the PATCH Act (for Protecting Access To Confidential Healthcare) may help keep information about health services they receive private. The resource below provides more information about the PATCH Act and how it works, as well as a sample script that can be used for contacting health insurance companies.
Public Comments
- Public Comment on MassHealth 1115 Demonstration Amendment Request
- Public Comment on MassHealth Coverage of Long-Acting Injectable PrEP
- Public Comment re: HCV Elimination Plan Presentation (2022)
- Public Comment on MA 1115 Waiver and Criminal Justice-Involved Individuals (2022)
- Public Comment on MA Health Connector: Seal of Approval 2023 Policy Development (2022)
Other
CHLPI is also active in other public health and health care initiatives in Massachusetts, including:
- EndHepCMA, a collaborative effort among stakeholders to achieve the elimination of hepatitis C in Massachusetts
- Food is Medicine Massachusetts, a coalition organized to implement the recommendations of the Food is Medicine State Plan, improve cross-sector communication among Food is Medicine partners, and advocate for federal and state policies that support Food is Medicine interventions
- MA Trans Health Coalition, a network of over 40 organizations committed to expanding access to comprehensive and non-discriminatory gender-affirming health care in the Bay State