Legal and Operational Guide for Free Medical Clinics Available Online

CHICAGO — The American Medical Assoc. (AMA) Foundation and the American Health Lawyers Assoc. (AHLA) have released a set of guidelines to help healthcare providers and community leaders overcome legal and operational hurdles often encountered in establishing free or charitable medical clinics in underserved communities.

The AMA Foundation and the AHLA collaborated with the National Assoc. of Free and Charitable Clinics to co-publish The Legal and Operational Guide for Free Medical Clinics, which is now available for free download at www.healthlawyers.org/freemedicalclinic.

AMA Foundation President Dr. William Kobler described the collaboration as helpful for the uninsured and beneficial for the country. “There are many barriers to care access for those without insurance. Free clinics provide an important avenue to help meet the medical needs of our country’s uninsured. There are also many legal issues involved in the establishment of free clinics.”

The guide steers clinic organizers through common obstacles such as volunteer recruitment, tax exemption, physician credentialing, board-member obligations, fund-raising, staff safety, patient privacy, insurance, and healthcare quality.

“This document will be an invaluable resource to existing centers and will encourage and facilitate the development of new clinics,” Kobler continued. “I am proud that physicians and lawyers have been able to work together to support free clinics as a part of the safety net for these vulnerable citizens.”

Despite the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the need for free clinics continues to be a pressing issue, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that as many as 31 million Americans will remain uninsured following full implementation of the ACA. Most patients served by free clinics are unable to afford care, are undocumented immigrants, or live in a state has not expanded the Medicaid program.