For the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, the Affordable Care Act will be utterly life-changing. For some, it will be life-saving.
Just ask Will Wilson, 58, who was diagnosed with “full-blown AIDS” in 2002.
“It will basically mean freedom,” said Wilson, a Chicago resident and an advocate for the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy.
For the first time, Wilson will be able to purchase private insurance without fear of being rejected for his preexisting condition. The former graphic designer will be able to aggressively re-enter the job market without risking his continuous access to lifesaving HIV drugs that cost him $3,000 a month.
He’ll have options he’s never had.
This week, the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, specifically the legality of the individual mandate provision and the expansion of Medicaid. It is slated to rule in June on what is widely considered to be the most important Supreme Court case in decades. Many people living with HIV/AIDS and other preexisting conditions will be hoping and praying that the court rules in favor of health care reform. Read more—>
