Expansion of Healthcare Access
The 2000’s also marked NLSLA’s efforts to significantly expand healthcare access, in part by launching the Health Consumer Center with support from The California Endowment. The center provides assistance for any resident of Los Angeles, free of charge, who has an issue with their health care coverage. It has allowed NLSLA to build valuable knowledge of health delivery systems, addressing individual issues while identifying and correcting policies to improve the process for everyone. This expertise put the organization at the forefront of health advocacy efforts in the state, and made it an integral part of the national efforts that ultimately resulted in the Affordable Care Act. Issues arising from the health consumer center have more recently led to several successful lawsuits that ensure Medi-Cal is working for the most vulnerable people in Los Angeles County.