Tucson Family Advocacy Program

What We Do

Legal Services

TFAP is located on site at two  Banner – University Medicine Family Medicine Clinics. Physicians and other health care providers at the clinics can refer low income patients to TFAP for help with legal issues that may affect patient health. TFAP works with referring health care providers and provides legal advice and assistance to referred patients in a wide variety of legal matters including:

  • Access to health care
  • Unsafe housing conditions
  • Disability benefits
  • Domestic violence
  • Medical Powers of Attorney and Living Wills

Examples of the cases TFAP has successfully handled include: 

  • A 60 year old humanitarian refugee was referred to TFAP by her physician in the Family and Community Medicine Clinic to evaluate her eligibility for Social Security benefits.  Despite her severe health problems, she had been denied disability benefits and did not understand how to appeal.  TFAP helped her prepare documents demonstrating good cause for filing a late appeal, as well as a new disability application requesting benefits retroactive to her original filing date.  TFAP also collaborated with her doctor to submit medical information to Social Security to support her disability claim.  Social Security approved the application for disability benefits and reopened her case.  This resulted in an award of the maximum amount of monthly disability benefits as well as back payments for the prior 18 months.   With the money received, she was able to remain in her apartment and repay loans for her living expenses.
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  • A Family Medicine physician referred an elderly couple to TFAP after their applications for food stamps and Medicaid health insurance were denied.  TFAP determined that the state agency had wrongly denied coverage based on an error in calculation of the couple’s income.  With TFAP’s help, they appealed the denials and submitted documents verifying the family’s true income.  Within weeks, they had medical insurance coverage and money for groceries.
  • A 47 year old disabled woman was referred to TFAP by her Family Medicine doctor after her insurer denied coverage for a medication prescribed for her complex medical conditions. Without the medication, she was in severe pain.  TFAP consulted with her doctor to prepare documentation demonstrating that the prescribed medication was medically necessary because of her multiple drug allergies and potential adverse interactions with other medications.  The denial was reversed, and she obtained the medication her doctor prescribed. 

 

Educational Presentations

In addition to legal assistance for referred clinic patients, TFAP also educates health care providers and community partners about legal issues that impact patient health.  Advocacy education for health care providers is an integral part of this interdisciplinary team approach to patient care and includes Family Medicine faculty and residents, students from College of Nursing and College of Medicine, and staff and students at UA RISE Health & Wellness Center’s Camp Wellness.  Topics include:

  • Multidisciplinary Screening, Treatment and Referral Options
  • Understanding the Social Security Disability Process
  • Forms and Letters 101: Completing Documents Your Patients Need
  • Social Determinants of Health
  • Advance Care Planning