Challenging National Health Service Corps Fines
The National Health Service Corps (“NHSC”) provides student loan assistance to qualifying individuals who provide healthcare services to underserved communities. Unfortunately, the program imposes extraordinary fines on individuals who cannot meet their service obligation, regardless of circumstance. We work with individuals who seek a waiver of these fines through the administrative process.
We’ve submitted 14 waiver requests for clients seeking relief from the NHSC program’s prohibitive fines. Health and Human Services has granted five of these waiver requests, saving our clients over $1,000,000.
We recognize that this work takes us beyond Montana’s borders, and yet, it is an essential fight for the integrity of our federal Constitution. It is a fight that, for us, started in Montana, but that cannot end here. We believe in the rule of law and in holding the powerful accountable regardless of who the powerful may be.
Litigation
Total saved in waivers granted so far.
We sued the Department of Health and Human Services on behalf of 3 NHSC clients after their waiver requests were denied. As a result of this work, we’ve prevailed in two lawsuits challenging imposition of punitive fines, saving our clients nearly $330,000. The third is ongoing.
In 2022, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of a nurse practitioner in Great Falls, MT. We filed a complaint on her behalf and proceeded to settlement, saving her over $92,000.
In 2024, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of a nurse practitioner in Eufala, AL. The compliant filed on her behalf and subsequent waiver grant saved her $237,535.
In 2026, we filed a lawsuit challenging the imposition of punitive fines on a social worker in Brooklyn, NY.
If you have more questions, or are interested in setting up an initial call to discuss your experience with HRSA, please email contact@uppersevenlaw.con