…(and it’s not too late to submit your guesses as to what that decision will be, provided you submit your guesses before the decision is actually public), read what Jennifer Jaff has to say about it over at Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc. Jennifer writes:
Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness always was conceived of as a civil rights organization. Because people with invisible disabilities face unique challenges that are not fully addressed by the disability rights community — employers, schools, friends, family questioning whether we’re really all that sick if we look okay; the crippling effects of chronic illness fatigue; pain, pain, and more pain. Because under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you can’t perform the essential functions of your job — which means if you can’t make it to work reliably every day, which is our biggest problem — you can be fired, even if the reasons you can’t perform those essential functions meets the law’s definition of “disability.”
Because people with pre-existing conditions cannot get health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act changed that. As such, it is the most important civil rights victory EVER to accrue to people with chronic illnesses. On January 1, 2014, all of us, for the first time, will be able to buy insurance. And we can’t be charged more because we’re sick. Period. For insurance purposes, our chronic illnesses will become irrelevant.
That makes tomorrow’s Supreme Court decision either our Brown v. Board of Education, our Roe v. Wade — the decision that ensures that we have the same rights as every other American to buy health insurance that guarantees our access to health care — or our Dredd Scott — the decision that consigns us to second-class status for generations to come.
Congratulations, Ms. Jaff.
I am sincerely pleased that the ACA provision for covering pre-existing conditions was upheld.
As we move toward 2014, I am equally sincere in my hope the coverage options made available by the corporations to people with chronic illness and invisible disabilities will be both affordable and adequate.
What he said.