Expert panelists share tips for navigating health and disability insurance as a solo or small firm lawyer in a recorded program from the Massachusetts SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being.
This 60-minute program (embedded below) was originally presented on December 15 in collaboration with the Massachusetts Bar Association Well-Being Committee.
Noting how costly private insurance options can be, expert panelists (bios below) provide insight on the following topics:
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Private options for insurance, including the types of policies available, costs, and how to obtain them
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Public options for insurance and the requirements to qualify
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Other options for health and disability insurance coverage
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Where to find help
PROGRAM MATERIALS:
PANELISTS:
Mala Rafik. Mala is the managing partner at Rosenfeld & Rafik, P.C., a law firm in New England representing clients denied access to health care as well as individuals seeking short- and long-term disability, life and long-term care benefits from private insurance carriers. Mala’s clients are typically individuals with debilitating chronic illnesses and disabilities for whom she has achieved several pivotal litigation victories in state and federal court.
She is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, the Chair of the Board of Directors of Health Law, a member of the Board of Directors of Prisoner’s Legal Services, and a member of the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee. In 2020, she was appointed to the Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Audrey Morse Gasteier. Audrey serves as Chief of Policy and Strategy at the Massachusetts Health Connector. She leads policy development and strategy related to the Health Connector’s role as the state’s Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, and oversees program and health insurance product design, policy research, government affairs, and outreach and communication efforts aimed at engagement with members and the public. Prior to joining the Health Connector in 2012, she served as Director of Health Systems Policy at the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, where she managed implementation of employer-related elements of state health reform policy and led health coverage research initiatives. She also served previously as a Policy Analyst at the Association of Community Human Service Agencies in Los Angeles, California. Audrey holds a MS in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a BA from Mount Holyoke College.
Hannah Frigand. Hannah, Director of Education & Enrollment Services, Health Care For All, oversees Health Care For All’s public program portfolio including enrollment, education, policy and advocacy. Hannah manages the day-to-day operations of the consumer HelpLine and the online community for enrollment assisters across the state. Hannah also guides HCFA’s policy work related to state public programs, including MassHealth and the Health Connector. Using the insights gained from HelpLine callers and enrollment assisters statewide, Hannah plays a crucial role in ensuring that HCFA’s policy and advocacy work meet the needs of consumers throughout Massachusetts. Before assuming her current role, Hannah moved up through the HelpLine, starting as an intern before joining the team as a full-time HelpLine Counselor and later becoming a HelpLine Supervisor and Manager. Hannah initially pursued art school but became interested in public policy after taking an introduction to government course. She subsequently decided to put down her paintbrush and to focus her studies on public policy. She holds a bachelor’s in Government and Public Policy from Suffolk University.
