Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill spearheaded by The ALS Association that would prohibit life insurance, long-term care insurance, and disability insurance policies from discriminating against people based on the results of a genetic test.
As the nation prepares to observe Veterans Day, the ALS Association and Paralyzed Veterans of America call on Congress to pass the Justice for ALS Veterans Act (H.R.5607/S.3483), which allows survivors of veterans who died from service-connected ALS to receive a small boost to the rate of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), which is commonly known as the “DIC kicker.”
In 2008, the Department of Veteran Affairs established ALS as a service connected disease. In doing so, the VA made it possible for veterans who were diagnosed with ALS to receive compensation based disability, grants for housing, vehicle modifications and much more. A veteran's spouse and dependents may also be eligible for benefits, but a quirk in the law governing survival benefits means that spouses of veterans are being denied access to survival benefits after they lose their loved ones.
While the travel industry is paying greater attention to the special needs of people with mobility challenges, much more needs to be done to ensure everyone has equal access to safe air travel. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act is designed to do just that.
We filed comments urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights to finalize a proposed rule that would strengthen civil rights protections against discrimination on the basis of disability in federal health care programs.
Today, the ALS Association advocated for Vermont to enact Medigap premium protections against higher premiums for persons under age 65, a proposed benefit to 50% of our Vermont ALS community.
The House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes important health care reforms that will provide financial relief for people living with ALS and their families.
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade is a wakeup call for all of us who care about the rights of people being able to make decisions about their own healthcare. No matter your political perspective or leanings, any erosion of the rights for individuals and their loved ones to set the course for their own treatment in consultation with their medical professionals is of great concern.
Since Mark’s diagnosis in 2000, he has been committed to the fight against ALS on many levels. Over the past 21 years, he has advocated locally at the state level and nationally on Capitol Hill. He’s volunteered at innumerous events with The ALS Association Mid-America Chapter and served on the Chapter’s board and Services Committee. All who know him say his ALS diagnosis does not define him, instead it motivates him to do more and to give hope to others.
It’s going to take all of us working together to make ALS a livable disease and ultimately find a cure. And it will take people like YOU. Whether you have a personal connection to ALS or just want to help make a difference for families impacted by the disease, becoming an advocate is easy.