December 2018 – In response to a lawsuit filed by Republican governors and state attorneys general, a federal judge in Texas struck down the Affordable Care Act on the grounds that requiring people to buy insurance is unconstitutional and the rest of the law cannot stand without it. This ruling threatens critical health coverage protections for millions of Americans living with a chronic condition.
Celiac disease is one of the world’s most common genetic autoimmune diseases, affecting approximately three million Americans alone. The Affordable Care Act implemented life-saving protections for people with chronic diseases, including celiac disease. Without these protections, people with pre-existing conditions were previously charged higher premiums or were denied insurance coverage entirely.
December 18, 2018 – The Celiac Disease Foundation launched our campaign to defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Hundreds of you stepped up to urge your Members of Congress to defend the ACA’s protections for the celiac community, sending about 2,000 letters to Congress so far.
January 9, 2019 – The Morning Consult reports the House of Representatives voted in favor of a standalone resolution affirming the House Counsel’s authorization to intervene as a defendant in the Affordable Care Act lawsuit to defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Notably, three Republican members joined Democrats in supporting the resolution. While this fight is far from over, the result of this vote has the potential to help defend the constitutionality of the ACA during the appeals process. Read more about this.
The Foundation sincerely thanks each and every one of you who took the initiative to make your voice heard through our Contact Congress platform. If you haven’t had a chance to contact your Members of Congress yet, it’s not too late! Sending our electronic letter to your Members of Congress takes only a moment. Take action now. Help us fight to protect quality, affordable health coverage for the millions of Americans with celiac disease and other chronic conditions.
Thank You for Defending Protections for Pre-existing Conditions