Dear Supporter,

Please sign and share this petition that calls on the US Department of Justice to Investigate Systemic Inequities Experienced by Patients with Chronic Lyme

Sign the petition

Petition Details
A coalition of patients, healthcare providers, and advocacy organizations has published a formal petition to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting a policy review to investigate systemic inequities in access to medical care, insurance coverage, and government programs for individuals suffering from Persistent/Chronic Lyme Disease (PLD/CLD).

The petition argues that federal agencies and healthcare institutions have failed to provide equitable treatment for PLD/CLD patients, resulting in discrimination, medical neglect, and barriers to essential services that constitute violations of civil rights protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Affordable Care Act.

“Patients with chronic Lyme disease have endured decades of systemic neglect and medical discrimination,” said Bruce Fries, President of the Patient Centered Care Advocacy Group and lead author of the petition, “This petition seeks to ensure that the estimated 2 million Americans suffering from chronic Lyme receive the medical care, disability protections, and government support to which they are legally entitled.”

The petition details how contested guidelines, restrictive insurance practices, and biased federal policies have created significant barriers to care for PLD/CLD patients, forcing many into financial hardship and unnecessary suffering despite the existence of evidence-based alternative treatment approaches.

Key issues highlighted in the petition include:

• Widespread denial of medical care and insurance coverage for patients suffering from chronic Lyme
• Physicians' reluctance to treat chronic Lyme due to fear of disciplinary action from medical boards
• Systemic barriers to disability benefits and workplace accommodations
• Economic burden estimated at billions in healthcare costs and lost productivity
• Consequences of the dominance of the IDSA guidelines
• Structural barriers within federal agencies that perpetuate health inequities

Petition Delivery
When the petition has enough signatures, it will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section via email and certified postal mail, along with the names of the signers.

Copies Will Be Sent To:
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi 
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
CDC Director Susan Monarez

Sign the petition

Thanks in advance for your support.

Bruce Fries, President
Patient Centered Care Advocacy Group