A firefighter with Parkinson's lost her health benefits. Supreme Court weighs if she can sue

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 5:05 a.m. ET Jan. 12, 2025 | Updated 5:05 a.m. ET Jan. 12, 2025


WASHINGTON − When Karyn Stanley retired early from firefighting in 2018, she expected most of her health insurance to be covered under the original terms of her job. But Stanley said she discovered the city of Sanford, Fla., had changed its policy for those leaving because of a disability, such as Stanley’s debilitating Parkinson disease.

Rather than receiving an approximately $1,000 monthly insurance subsidy until she turned 65, the 47-year-old was cut off after two years. When Stanley tried to sue the city using a federal law created in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination, a federal appeals court said the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t cover former employees. On Monday, the Supreme Court will debate whether it does.

The AARP said the court’s decision will affect millions of older Americans who retire because of a disability and could be denied equal access to health insurance benefits when they need them most. Stanley also has the backing of the Justice Department, which is joining her lawyers in arguing on her behalf in Monday’s oral arguments. But business groups and associations representing cities and counties said that if the Supreme Court sides with Stanley, the cost of offering post-employment health insurance will increase, making it less likely employers will continue to offer it.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to ensure that current employees and job applicants aren't discriminated against, not to regulate employers' relationships with former employees, they argue. The Social Security Administration predicts that more than one in four current 20-year-olds will become disabled before reaching retirement.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/12/supreme-court-americans-with-disabilities-act-retirees/77491061007/

[Historic NY]

1. Really scarey I was put out on disabliity 20yrs ago next week

I had given up my accumulated sick time for lifetime medical benefits. I got SS disability. While Medicare is deducted from my SS check I get paid back for it. Those medical benefits are my secondary to Medicare. Their Workman comp fund pays me every two weeks as an addition to my reg State pension.

This could give them a way to cut off paying. The money I gave up for the benefits pays for the insurance.

I can't complain a major medical incident in March bills amounted to 800k and it only cost me a few co-pays and transport bill no questions.

[NotHardly]

2. Pretty sure what use to be a Supreme Court will side with the Billionaire Bros Club

[JMCKUSICK]

3. There's only one reasonable outcome

Anything else would be truly evil.

[people]

4. Ridiculous position by Stanley City

The ADA has no such exception. The Americns With Disabilities Act does not exclude disabled former employees from its coverage. That is an absurd legal argument and an absurd position.

[slightlv]

5. Face it, we are now entering a time when,

if you are not an able-bodied white male you are basically jack sh*t out of luck. You are worthless, especially so if you are disabled. You eat, you take, but you have nothing to give back as far as they are concerned. Funny thing is (as if anything could be funny in this situation), the magas are the worst when it comes to health and disability. Of course, they'll start killing of democratic and independent disabled much more quickly than they'll kill off the ones who bankroll them... at least as long as the money keeps coming in to them. I have no empathy left for any of these magas. I have no empathy left for anyone but those of us on the margins, trying to do right by us and others like us.

To say I worry what tomorrow holds is the most ludicrous understatement of history.