Frequently Asked Questions - Membership Model
Dues Model
AHLA is committed to being an inclusive organization that welcomes both health lawyers and health law professionals. Each member is empowered to select the AHLA content, services, and products that best meet their professional needs and provides the greatest value. AHLA’s membership model includes three levels from which to choose, based on the bundle of benefits chosen. Dues are $269 for the Full membership level; $369 for the Enhanced membership level, and $499 for the Premium membership level.
Who is eligible for discounted pricing on membership?
For those who are paralegals, AHLA provides a $100 discount off the Full and Enhanced membership level pricing. In addition, the Association continues to provide special, discounted pricing when the paralegal registers for programs and distance learning events.
How are Practice Groups incorporated into a membership?
When individuals become and remain AHLA members, they select a membership level that includes access to one, two, or all Practice Groups. The Full membership level includes membership in and access to one Practice Group; the Enhanced membership level includes membership in and access to two Practice Groups, and the Premium membership level includes membership in and access to all Practice Groups.
What is a member’s anniversary date?
An individual’s membership anniversary date is based on the month that one joins AHLA unless the firm or organization has a group bill. For those members covered by a group bill, the expiration date is aligned to match the month that the organization pays for everyone.
Does everyone at the firm, in-house department, or organization need to select the same membership level?
No.
Can members change their membership level to access additional membership benefits, discounts, or Practice Groups?
Yes. Staff can upgrade members to a higher membership level during the year or members can opt to wait until their membership is up for renewal. You will work directly with AHLA staff to review and adjust their rosters prior to an invoice being issued.
How can a member change his/her membership level?
A member can upgrade to a higher membership level at any time during the year by contacting AHLA. The member can also opt to wait until their membership is up for renewal, reassess their professional needs, and change the membership level at that time.
How can a member gain access to the Association’s Health Law Archive?
When someone joins AHLA for the first time at the Full or Enhanced membership level, the member receives a complimentary subscription to the Archive for the year. Upon renewal, the member will be able to subscribe to the Health Law Archive for an additional year at a nominal fee ($129 when selecting the Full membership level and $99 when selecting the Enhanced membership level). When a member selects the Premium membership level, access to the Health Law Archive is automatically included.
Organizations can obtain a site license for 5+ staff at a rate of $70 per person, per year, or by IP address for $250 (a $50 change in IP address fee may apply between billing cycles).
The Enhanced membership level includes one free webinar and discounted pricing when registering for additional webinars. How does this work?
When registering for webinars, pricing automatically reflects the applicable discount. The member can take advantage of their free webinar at any time during the year when registering for a single webinar. Enhanced Members cannot use the free webinar option for a webinar series; the discount for Enhanced Members will be applied automatically.
The Premium membership includes access to the Health Law Archive, an educational pass that grants free access to all AHLA webinars and educational calls, special pricing when registering for AHLA programs, and access to all the Practice Groups. How does this work?
When registering for webinars or educational calls, no fee is required. When registering for programs, pricing automatically reflects the applicable discount. The Health Law Archive is accessible as a benefit of the premium membership.
Premium Members must opt-in to the Practice Groups they would like to join. Premium Members can add Practice Groups by logging into the AHLA website and selecting the “My Membership” option.
We have law students as summer associates. Can they join AHLA?
Yes. If they do not hold a JD degree, they can become a student subscriber while in active student status for up to three years. A student subscriber receives select free AHLA benefits, including digital access to the Health Law Connections magazine; the Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law; AHLA Weekly and AHLA Newsstand electronic newsletters, and admission to the Association’s online topical communities and professional networks. Student subscribers also receive special, discounted pricing when registering for programs and distance learning events. A student can opt to pay for the Full, Enhanced or Premium membership level if they wish to receive additional benefits.
What is the Connection Center?
The Association’s Connection Center is a community platform for AHLA members, digital subscribers, and student subscribers. The Connection Center includes a collection of online discussion lists that offer a forum for dialogue and encourage colleagues to connect with one another on topics that interest them most.
Content for all areas of health law are incorporated into one all-member community called the Health Law Topical Discussion Forum. All content in the Health Law Discussion Forum is tagged with the area of health law it relates to, which enables one to find the resources and threads related to a specific area of interest.
Each of the Practice Groups (PGs) has its own Community. Members are automatically subscribed to the PG communities in which they have membership.
The Connection Center has a Volunteer Center which lists opportunities for members to lend their time and expertise as speakers, writers, ambassadors, leaders, mentors, judging panels, and more. The Association’s content-generating groups like Practice Groups, special councils, and planning committees post available openings and members can identify and volunteer for the opportunities that best meet their needs in terms of type of engagement, time, and subject area expertise.
Finally, all members can subscribe to any of the Association’s online Professional Networks at no additional costs. AHLA’s professional networks include: Accessibility in Health Law, BIPOC in Health Law, Compliance Professionals, Early Career Professionals, LGBTQ+ in Health Law, Life Members, Solo Practitioners, and Women in Health Law.
Members can designate how they set-up their notification settings, i.e., receive messages in real-time, in a digest with other community messages, or by checking online.
What are the Member Category definitions?
- Academician = full-time faculty at a law or graduate school
- Attorney = individual holding a JD degree and engaged in the practice of law, includes firm counsel, of counsel, special counsel, or senior counsel
- Health Law Professional = legal professional meeting or associated for a common purpose related to the legal profession, e.g., compliance and regulatory professionals, privacy officers, consultants, accountants and finance officers, economists, hospital and medical office administrators and practitioners.
- In-House Counsel = attorney or lawyer practicing in a hospital or health care system, HMO, health care insurer, or professional association setting
- Paralegal = individual who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal
- Public Sector = health law professional working in the public sector; non-profit legal service or legal advocacy organization; federal, state, or local government work setting; or public health organization or agency
- Solo Practitioner = lawyer who practices independently, in a law firm that may include non-lawyer support personnel but does not include other lawyers
- Student Subscriber = enrolled full time at a law or graduate school; free benefits for up to three years; individual may not already hold a JD degree
What features/benefits make up each of the three tiers?
The chart below lists the features and benefits you will receive under the membership model: