Parkinson's Community Asks Congress to Keep Pre-existing Condition Protections in Health Care

The Department of Justice is asking a federal court to strike down key protections in the Affordable Care Act that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more for pre-existing conditions. If the court strikes down protections for pre-existing conditions, people with Parkinson's disease will face astronomical health care costs and worse coverage.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic disease, not a partisan disease. Every year about 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with it. Overall, men are more likely to have the disease than women. It can happen to anyone, male or female, Democrat or Republican. The average cost of Parkinson's medication is $2,500 per year. Parkinson's-related surgery can cost up to $100,000 per patient. Direct and indirect costs of Parkinson's are estimated at $25 billion per year.

We're asking Congress to please do the right thing for the American people who have Parkinson's disease. We need protection for pre-existing conditions to keep our health care affordable.