I am sharing my story as a sufferer of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. During a time in my life when my jaw was dislocated it was hard to speak, talk, eat and sleep. I was faced fighting my insurance company in order to receive medically necessary treatment and eventually surgery. 

The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), an essential joint connecting the jawbone to the skull, is not always treated as equal to other body joints in health insurance coverage in the United States. It's high time for a change. Around 35 million people in the US are estimated to experience TMJ disorders at any given time (Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research), and of these, more than a few will require complex treatments, including surgical interventions like total joint replacement. 

Shared experiences from patients across the country illustrate the financial burdens brought by the present insurance policies for TMJ treatments, which often involve hefty out-of-pocket expenses. This is an issue that touches many lives, mine included, resulting in further stress and disruption in an already challenging time.

This petition seeks to require all medical insurance companies in the U.S. to recognize the TMJ as any other joint in the body and cover all the respective conservative and surgical treatment requirements.

Please sign this petition and help all of us affected by TMJ disorders get the coverage we deserve and need for our treatment. It's time to eliminate financial impediments in our pursuit of health and well-being.