When Bobby Peterson was a law school intern in 1985, he spent a summer on a project in Barron County learning about rural residents who lacked health coverage. Unveiling the Reality of Health Care Access The team interviewed health care providers and other institutional sources, but they were stuck on how to find uninsured people themselves — until they turned to court records. Perusing lawsuits that health care providers had filed against patients who had outstanding debts, Peterson contacted some of the defendants and asked to interview them. A lot of these people had options — they just didn’t have help. They didn’t know about various benefit programs that might have been available. They also lacked an understanding of how to navigate the system and advocate for themselves. From a Vision to Reality That project was under the auspices of the Center for Public Representation, an educational legal clinic that operated at the University of Wisconsin Law School. The program director, Louise Trubek, directed Peterson to the project after he interviewed to work with the center. He grew up in a low-income home, raised by his mother after his parents divorced. The Birth of Advocacy & Benefits Counseling for Health Inc. Over the course of six years in the center’s health benefits counseling program, Peterson says, “we changed the trajectory of a lot of clients’ lives.” In 1994, nine years after that first summer experience in Barron County, Peterson launched Advocacy & Benefits Counseling for Health Inc., a nonprofit public interest law firm concentrating on advocacy related to health care coverage. Serving the Community Monday marks ABC for Health’s 30th anniversary — a lifetime over which the organization has grown, expanding its mission while keeping its focus. The offices of ABC for Health, located in the former Mifflin Street Co-op in Madison, now staff 15 dedicated individuals. Empowering Through Knowledge In its day-to-day work, ABC for Health counsels people for whom health care has been anything but affordable. That might be someone facing a crushing medical bill who has no way to pay, or someone who has lost a job, and with it, employer-sponsored health insurance. The organization helps people navigate the complex system of health care coverage and benefits. Advocating for Change Beyond direct client services, the nonprofit has also been an outspoken advocate on policy. ABC for Health researches and reports on trends in lawsuits by health care providers against patients over medical debt. The organization has called on the state to expand Medicaid eligibility in return for a federal subsidy under the Affordable Care Act. A Legacy of Innovation and Impact In the years since its founding, ABC has established several subsidiaries, each focusing on different aspects of health care and advocacy. The organization's impact is seen in the lives of the 72,500 clients and family members it has helped find health coverage and services. Looking Ahead With technological tools aiding their efforts, ABC for Health continues to expand its reach and impact, addressing the growing needs of vulnerable populations. The dedication of Bobby Peterson and his team has made ABC for Health a beacon of hope for thousands of individuals in need.