For Those with a Chronic Illness: What are Our Rights?

In this day and age, all we hear about is people’s rights. We have children’s rights, freedom of speech rights, human rights, civil rights, marriage rights, and so on and so on; but do we have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis rights? Well, I believe we do. I would like to share some of them with you.

Our rights as chronically ill individuals

We have the right to health insurance for our medical needs. The insurance companies have given us a hard time for years. I remember back in the day, that if you had psoriasis and went to a new health insurance company, you had to wait a year to get treatment. This was because you had a pre-existing condition. It is now my right to get the best medical treatment that is out there. It shouldn’t be up to the insurance company to decide what treatment is best for me. Let the doctors do their job.

We also have the right to work. We know people are being discriminated even in today’s world, but you can’t be discriminated against because of your skin, psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis. We have a right to eat in any restaurant that we want to. Can you imagine if we didn’t have laws passed to protect different people with whatever illness they have? Can you imagine walking into a restaurant and there was a sign that said "no one with psoriasis allowed"?

Discrimination is real

I have been discriminated against because of having psoriasis on my skin and told I wasn’t allowed in several places. I was ignorant to my rights and the laws at that time, but now I know that knowledge is power. We must take a stand for our rights.

I am so glad that I know my rights as far as having psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It is 2017 and I have heard of people be refused taxi cab rides or even allow to get on a bus. I think this is so unreal. This is actually happening in the United States today. This is why it’s so important to have support groups meetings across the world, and family and friends to talk to.

Know your rights

When I think of our rights and what we have to protect us as a community, I rejoice. Please, get to know your rights. We have a right to voice our concerns, we have a right to lobby, and we have a right to know about all the latest medical research. I have a right as psoriatic arthritis patient to be on disability if my health would warrant that and I have a right to speak to others about knowing their rights.

We can’t sit by and allow our rights to be stepped on. It’s good to know about the disability act. I know a lot of us must take advantage of disability act. When you can’t walk, or have problems getting around; surely you have a right to utilize what is available to you.

I plan on staying pro-active in this cause. I have definitely experienced some of these discriminations. We have all heard that life isn’t fair, but having rights is. I can assure you that I have looked into our right and we do have them. It’s better to be right than to let someone tell you something is wrong.

Over the years I have been an active advocate for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, speaking up and out about this disease.