Kaiser and DMHC Face Lawsuit for Discriminatory Failure to Cover Wheelchairs

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October 7, 2021
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund ("DREDF") and Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP ("RBGG") filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and the California Department of Managed Health Care ("DMHC") challenging disability discrimination in insurance coverage of wheelchairs. Health plans administered by Kaiser and endorsed by DMHC do not provide effective coverage of wheelchairs needed by people with disabilities. [...]

Supreme Court Ruling Leaves ACA Intact

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The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund applauds the June 17, 2021 Supreme Court decision in California v. Texas, which upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its critical nondiscrimination and healthcare expansion provisions.  The ruling by the nation's highest Court rejected a significant challenge to the constitutionality of the ACA.  In 2020, DREDF and a number of allied organizations filed an amicus brief opposing attempts to dismantle the ACA provisions that people, including many with disabilities, rely on to receive the healthcare services and supports they need. [...]

Brief of 19 National Disability Rights Organizations as Amici Curiae

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May 14, 2020
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and 17 other national disability rights organizations filed an amicus brief in California v. Texas, a case that will be heard by the Supreme Court in the fall. The brief supports 21 states that are defending the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and provides evidence of how Congress, in the ACA, clearly and intentionally strengthened comprehensive and affordable health coverage for people wilth disabilities.

State of Texas, et al. Plaintiffs-Appellees

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April 1, 2019
An amicus brief in the Texas v. U..S. case, on appeal in the 5th circuit, was filed on Monday, April 1 by DREDF and the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, working with the Dentons law firm on behalf of our two organizations and 13 other leading disability rights organizations. The case was originally brought in district court by a number of states, led by Texas, that claimed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was rendered unconstitutional when the Trump administration reduced the mandatory penalty for failing to buy health insurance to zero, because the ACA was based on Congress' authority to tax and there was no longer a tax. [...]

DREDF Defends ACA in 5th Circuit Amicus Brief

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April 1, 2019
An amicus brief in the Texas v. U..S. case, on appeal in the 5th circuit, was filed on Monday, April 1 by DREDF and the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, working with the Dentons law firm on behalf of our two organizations and 13 other leading disability rights organizations. The case was originally brought in district court by a number of states, led by Texas, that claimed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was rendered unconstitutional when the Trump administration reduced the mandatory penalty for failing to buy health insurance to zero, because the ACA was based on Congress' authority to tax and there was no longer a tax. [...]

A Delay is Good, but the Fight for Healthcare is Not Over

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June 28, 2017
DREDF is grateful to the thousands of disabled Americans who have visited the offices of elected officials in recent weeks either by demonstrating or by meeting with staff, and for those who have called, emailed, tweeted, and shared Facebook messages with your Senators and Representatives.

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Take Action! The AHCA is a Very Bad Idea for People with Disabilities

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March 22, 2017
The AHCA will place the lives of children and adults with disabilities at risk.
Medicaid home and community-based services make it possible for Alana Theriault to work, live in her own home with her partner, spend time with friends, and be active in her community. If the American Health Care Act passes, all of that is at risk. Her life could be at risk.

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DREDF Comments on Proposed Rule – Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

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January 30, 2016
DREDF opposes the proposed rule as a clear erosion of GINA's protections against disclosure of disability-related information by employees and their family members. The Commission's proposed rule disregards the plain language and stated purpose of GINA, recorded in Congressional history and statements, and the regulations already that the EEOC has already promulgated under GINA. Ultimately, a weakened GINA rule, in concert with the expanding promulgation of untested employer wellness programs, will easily and inevitably lead to adverse employment decisions based on fears about the cost of insuring an employer and his or her dependents.