By Sara Raza, Clinical Fellow A program that brought internet access to 7.5 million low-income households in 2024 and funneled $4.2 billion to telecom companies to expand rural broadband has faced mounting legal scrutiny in recent years. On June 27, 2025, the United States Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld the constitutionality of the […]
At the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI), we are constantly exploring how to create more equitable, just, and sustainable health and food systems. This week we announced the release of our latest report which highlights a powerful synergy: how state governments can leverage local food procurement to significantly boost the impact of Food is Medicine interventions. Beyond […]
Over the past two weeks, there has been a flurry of activity from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that affects health-related social needs (HRSN) and Food is Medicine (FIM) services in Medicare and Medicaid: Medicare Parts C & D Contract Year 2026 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: On November 26, 2024, CMS announced […]
The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation Welcomes Technical Assistance Proposals to Support State Food is Medicine Initiatives Expanded efforts to increase equitable access to state Food is Medicine services 12/2/2024 – (Cambridge, MA) The Center for Health Policy and Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School seeks proposals from state partners to leverage its […]
On November 16, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance detailing the coverage pathways for services and supports to address health-related social needs (HRSN) services, such as housing and nutrition interventions, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This guidance responds to growing nationwide momentum to address negative health outcomes, […]
Challenges navigating the federal patient data privacy law known as HIPAA are often front-and-center in conversations between health care and community-based organizations (CBOs) interested in partnering to address health-related social needs. Many common questions about HIPAA come up: Under what circumstances can a health care organization share patient information with a CBO? Is the CBO […]
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule with exciting new Medicare payment policies for certain services addressing health-related social needs: (1) Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Risk Assessment, (2) Community Health Integration (CHI) services to address unmet HRSN that affect the diagnosis and treatment of a patient’s medical […]
For many individuals in the Medicaid program, lack of transportation can be a significant barrier to health care access. As a result, Medicaid transportation benefits are a critical component of effective care. On September 28, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new, comprehensive guidance on these benefits: Assurance of Transportation: A […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled exciting proposals for Medicare reimbursement of certain key services that support health-related social needs: community health worker services, navigation services, and social determinants of health risk assessment. More specifically, CMS is considering reforms to the Physician Fee Schedule that will better identify and value, through […]
The Health Law Lab, in partnership with California’s Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Steering Committee, released the final case studies in a series of five focused on California’s efforts to expand access to and coverage of nutrition interventions and other services for people enrolled in Medicaid.