Matthew Brinegar 2004 Equal Justice Works Fellow Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc., Orlando, FL Sponsor(s): Greenberg Traurig, LLP; The Florida Bar Foundation Primary Issue Area: Health Care University of Washington School of Law, 2004

Matthew Brinegar works with the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association in Orlando, Florida as their Medicaid Fellow. The Society provides direct representation and pro bono referral assistance to Orange County’s low-income population and assists individuals with family, consumer, public benefits, guardian ad litem, and immigration cases. Orange County has a large population of needy individuals over the age of 60. As the costs of health care have skyrocketed, Florida and other states have cut programs that supply medical care to the poor and elderly. In particular, Florida has been limiting enrollment in many of its Medicaid waiver programs and has sought permission to contract Medicaid eligibility determinations to private corporations. To address these issues, Matthew will use both administrative and legislative advocacy to represent elderly individuals who are experiencing trouble with the Medicaid program and protect their interests. Matthew’s commitment to serve Medicaid recipients stems from his own family’s health care problems. He feels that “without adequate health care, no one can succeed: regardless of their determination, training, or skill.” He developed an interest in health care law during his two-year internship with the Seattle Community Law Center where he represented individuals with post-entitlement issues regarding Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance.