Supporting North Carolinian survivors with legal protection and pathways to safety

When North Carolinians living at or below the federal poverty level face legal challenges, they can experience corresponding health problems, from unsafe housing and evictions to loss of income and domestic violence. Such issues are linked to increased hospitalizations, repeated emergency room visits and unmanaged medical conditions, making legal instability a driver of preventable health complications. The impact is particularly evident in domestic violence trends statewide. In 2024, North Carolina recorded 155 domestic violence–related homicides, a 14.8% increase from the previous year.¹ As of 2023, 35.2% of North Carolina women and 30.3% of North Carolina men experienced intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes.²

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC), a statewide nonprofit law firm serving residents living below the federal poverty line, saw this demand firsthand, handling more than 8,000 domestic violence and sexual assault cases in 2024 alone, a 14% increase over 2023. To help address these trends and strengthen access to justice as a foundational component of public health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina has invested $100,000 in LANC. The funding expands two programs, Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault legal services (DVSA), designed to resolve the legal crises that drive poor health outcomes. Together, these initiatives support a whole-person approach to care that prioritizes safety, stabilizes families and helps prevent serious health problems before they escalate.

“UnitedHealthcare’s support of LANC and the work of our Medical Legal Partnerships team is an example of wrap-around services in action,” said LANC Executive Director Ashley Campbell. “By meeting people where they are—within trusted health care settings—we can address upstream legal needs that, if left unresolved, can undermine health, housing and economic security. Your support for this work creates lasting, preventive impact.”

Bringing legal support into health care settings

MLPs embed legal services within medical environments, allowing clinicians to identify health problems rooted in legal barriers. Through these programs, health care teams can refer patients whose conditions are worsened by:

• Unsafe or substandard housing
• Denied disability, Medicaid or other benefits
• Workplace disputes leading to wage or job loss

LANC attorneys then advocate on patients’ behalf, addressing legal issues before they lead to worsened health. These collaborations are well-established and growing across the state, operating within major health systems and community clinics

National research and program data have shown MLPs improve patient outcomes and reduce emergency utilization and lower health care spending by resolving the upstream legal barriers that make patients sick. Providers also receive training to recognize legal risks and connect patients to legal aid early, creating a more coordinated and effective model of care.

Supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault

LANC’s DVSA program helps survivors access legal protections regardless of their ability to pay. In collaboration with more than 80 domestic violence agencies across North Carolina, LANC attorneys help survivors obtain protective orders, secure stable housing, navigate family court matters and resolve benefit and income issues. By addressing legal needs early, these services prevent repeated emergency visits, support families in crisis and enable women and children to begin healing in safer environments.

Advancing prevention-focused, whole-person care

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina’s investment reflects a broader shift toward service models that address root causes of illness. By embedding legal expertise into health care delivery and expanding protection services for survivors, the initiative:

• Improves health outcomes for individuals facing poverty
• Reduces avoidable emergency and crisis care
• Makes health care more accessible, coordinated and effective
• Helps build a more prevention-focused Medicaid system statewide
  

This work also demonstrates the value of managed care in driving innovation, aligning investment with interventions that improve stability, health and long-term cost efficiency.

Looking forward

By supporting interventions that address the legal and social conditions affecting health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina is advancing a model of care where every individual has access to safety, stability and the resources needed to thrive.

Learn more about how we’ve supported North Carolina members by visiting our North Carolina profile page. 

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