INDIANAPOLIS—On Thursday, State Senator J.D. Ford (D-Indianapolis) joined community activists, elected leaders and Congressional leadership in calling on Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County to withdraw their case, HHC v. Talevski, from consideration before the Supreme Court.

“HHC v. Talevski puts the legal rights of millions of Americans under direct threat. This case could strip away crucial protections for America’s most vulnerable citizens—the poor, the elderly, the disabled—and render any Americans whose rights have been violated under federal spending programs essentially helpless. I stand with those who spoke before the board last night and ask Health and Hospital Corp. to withdraw the suit before they irreversibly change millions of Americans’ fates for the worse.

Every institution, especially those that receive taxpayer money, should be accountable to the people they are supposed to serve; this case directly challenges that most basic principle. Americans should not just be thrown at the mercy of hospitals and nursing homes that violate their rights. No facility should have this sort of unfettered power over the lives of those they serve. We should not make it easier for care providers to toss people aside or to trample on people’s lives and liberties. I hope that HHC has a change of heart and withdraws the case, but I will be looking for ways to preserve the rights and dignity of those impacted if they do not.”