Please feel free to add or edit resources or to comment on your experiences using the resources listed by using the comments function underneath each section. This site is meant to be a community resource. Our hope is that we can support each other in being active, informed health care consumers.
These organizations do political organizing around health care issues, and they also help individual consumers in trying to get health care. They can give you info, advice, and help you with applications for medical assistance, charity care, etc.
CONSUMER HEALTH COALITION
415 East Ohio Street, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
412-456-1877 x200
If you know someone who is uninsured and needs assistance in applying for public health programs (such as Medical Assistance or the Children’s Health Insurance Program – CHIP), please have them call the CHC helpline. The phone number is 412-456-1877 and our services are free.
Get help via e-mail: Email Leslie Bachurski at lbachurski@consumerhealthcoalition.org
“Consumer Health Coalition’s mission is to inspire a consumer movement to enhance access to quality, affordable healthcare in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We accomplish this mission by enrolling and educating individuals in free and low-cost health insurance programs. We also educate consumers and our community partners through health access related news and policy reports. Along with outreach and education we also organize consumers, offer training opportunities to enhance advocacy skills, and collectively develop agendas for health care reform.”
www.consumerhealthcoalition.org
PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH LAW PROJECT, PITTSBURGH OFFICE
650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2130
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-434-5779
Toll Free Helpline 1-800-274-3258
staff@phlp.org
PHLP is a statewide legal center whose mission is to provide legal advice, assistance and representation to the elderly, low-income and persons with disabilities to access health insurance ad healthcare. PHLP is a private, non-profit corporation with offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. It is the only statewide ceter of expertise focused on access to quality healthcare for all low-income persons and persons with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Toward this end, PHLP operates a statewide Helpline, 9-5, Monday-Friday to provide advice, brief service and ongoing representation to consumers and agencies ad advocates who work with them. PHLP is also a legal services back-up center on healthcare issues for attorneys and paralegals in the Pennsylvania Legal Services network. PHLP creates consumer education materials and conducts trainings and workshops. PHLP also advocates for changes and improvements in health policy at the local, state and national level on behalf of individual consumers and consumer groups to expand access to health insurance, eliminate barriers to coverage and protect consumer rights in the public healthcare system.
PITTSBURGH HEALTH BRIGADE
http://pittsburghhealthbrigade.wordpress.com/
Community-created provider directory and resource listings. Search for health care providers recommended by your fellow Pittsburghers and/or recommend someone yourself. Great sections on how to recognize good health care, resource listings and more.
THE PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH ACCESS NETWORK
Harrisburg, PA
215-557-0822 x 107
http://www.pahealthaccess.org/
Click here or call the above phone number to take action for health reform.
About the PA Health Access Network (PHAN)
The Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) is a statewide coalition of organizations working to protect high quality health insurance coverage for individuals and businesses and to expand coverage to the uninsured.
PHAN is working with local organizations and communities across the Commonwealth to turn public anxiety about declining health care coverage into a sustained public voice for reform. PHAN works to promote change at the state and national level by mobilizing affected constituencies, including consumers, health care providers, business, labor, the faith community, and the general public to press for a more accessible and affordable health care system…
PHAN Objectives:
1. To expand access for the uninsured in Pennsylvania;
2. To make comprehensive quality, affordable health care reform a major policy issue and;
3. To reform the private insurance system so that people have greater access to care.
The PHAN Leadership Team:
* Philadelphia Unemployment Project
* Consumer Health Coalition
* Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA
* SEIU State Council
* United Food and Commercial Workers 1776
* Pennsylvania Health Law Project
* Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, City of Philadelphia
* Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
THREE RIVERS CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
(TRCIL)
900 Rebecca Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15221-2938
412-371-7700
A Center for Independent Living (CIL) is a non-residential, non-profit, community-based human service agency. Its purpose is to enable people with disabilities to lead self-directed and productive lives within the community.For health care information and referrals related to living with a disability, call Cindy Williams at (412) 371-7700, TTY (412) 371-6230, or email her at cwilliams@trcil.org
