ABC for Health is a Wisconsin-based, nonprofit, public interest law firm dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those with special health care needs, to health care benefits and services. ABC for Health's mission is to provide information, advocacy tools, legal services and expert support needed to obtain, maintain, and finance health care coverage and services.

The following outlines the major services we provide:

Health Benefits Counseling
ABC for Health advocacy staff can help you locate health care financing resources for your family, offer counseling on the application or appeals process, and advocate for you when a conflict arises with an insurer, public benefits program, or a provider's billing department.

Legal Services for Health Care Financing
Sometimes, just knowing what your rights are isn't enough. You may need to have legal consultation and representation to enforce those rights. ABC for Health has legal staff to help you challenge health insurance claim denials, negotiate with creditors, and represent you in appeals before government agencies.

Collaboration with Communities
The staff at ABC for Health recognizes that there is a limit to what a single small organization can do, no matter how dedicated. We have always envisioned our work as embedded in larger circles of like-minded partners throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Beginning in 1998, we began to organize regional "HealthWatch" committees, in cooperation with Wisconsin's five Title V Children with Special Health Need Centers. These committees are made up of parents and professionals. Each committee meets once a month to talk about issues of access to health care and health care coverage that affect children with special health needs.

Professional Training and Consultation
ABC for Health staff are seasoned teachers on health care financing issues. We offer comprehensive in-house training sessions for groups large and small, open-invitation conferences, and in-depth consultation to those interested in developing their health care financing knowledge and their benefits counseling skills.

Public Information Services
ABC's website (www.abcforhealth.org) features fact sheets on financing resources, web versions of our newsletters, and links to vital info for the health benefits counselor.

Health System Research and Advocacy
Individual casework is a key to understanding the structure of the financing system and how it fails the American people. At ABC for Health, we work to translate our case-level insights into strategies for change by taking an active advocacy role in public policy debates at both the state and national level.