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June 28, 2012 Contact: Tony Coelho, President & CEO

FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION APPLAUDS HEALTHCARE RULING

WASHINGTON--The Epilepsy Foundation expresses support for the United States Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“This is a victory, not only for people with epilepsy, but also for millions of Americans living with chronic disease or disability who will now have access to health insurance due to this landmark law,” said Tony Coelho, President & CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Coelho continued, “Too often pre-existing conditions and costs have left vulnerable Americans without needed care or in dire financial straits because of medical bills. The President and Congress saw this problem and corrected what amounted to discrimination based on health status. I view this as a building block of the rights guaranteed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is an equal rights victory for all.”

The Epilepsy Foundation has supported health care reform to increase access to insurance and meet the medical needs of individuals with epilepsy and other chronic conditions. We believe that health insurance must address the needs of individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities like epilepsy in order to achieve the goal of providing meaningful coverage. Lack of access to neurologists and to appropriate treatments makes a dramatic impact on the health, family and employment situation for individuals living with epilepsy and seizures. We support affordable access to specialists and to all necessary epilepsy treatments.

In upholding this law, the Court decision helps move implementation of the law forward. The ACA will help to improve the access to medical care and to appropriate treatments by eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions, working to address high costs, and prohibiting coverage limits. The Foundation supported the ACA as the elimination of discrimination in health insurance eligibility, renewal and pricing based on health status is vital to access for people with epilepsy. The ACA will improve access to quality health care for people with epilepsy who are uninsured or under-insured -- including access to insurance for children who age-out of their parents’ insurance and access to health insurance for young adults and others who may lose insurance when unemployed. This legislation will be of particular importance to people with lifelong disorders such as epilepsy, who often have been denied insurance due to pre-existing conditions, and who need regular medication and care.

“We call on Congress and the States to move forward on these important reforms and avoid the politics of harmful repeal efforts,” stated Coelho.

The Epilepsy Foundation of America® is the national voluntary agency dedicated solely to the welfare of the almost 3 million people with epilepsy in the U.S. and their families. The organization works to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; to improve how people with epilepsy are perceived, accepted and valued in society; and to promote research for a cure. In addition to programs conducted at the national level, epilepsy clients throughout the United States are served by 48 Epilepsy Foundation affiliates.