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    Ady Barkan, activist who championed health care reform, dies of ALS at 39

    The activist and attorney had long fought for progressive causes. After his ALS diagnosis in 2016, Barkan became a leading voice in the fight for health care reform — even as his health deteriorated.
    by Rachel Treisman Nov 02, 2023 5 minutes
    Ady Barkan speaks at the premiere of his documentary <em>Not Going Quietly</em> in August 2021 in Los Angeles.

    Ady Barkan, the progressive attorney and activist who grew to prominence campaigning for health care reform after being diagnosed with ALS, has died of complications of the disease. He was 39.

    His death was announced on Wednesday by Rachael King, his partner of 18 years, as well as Be A Hero, the political organization he co-founded in 2018.

    Barkan was a lifelong social justice advocate who championed a variety of causes, from expanding worker rights to reforming the Federal Reserve. After he was diagnosed with the terminal neurological disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2016 — just months after the birth of his first child — he turned his focus towards improving Americans' access to health care.

    "The knowledge that I was dying was terrible, but dealing with my insurance company was even worse," Barkan said for a 2021 documentary about his life and activism. "I wanted to spend every moment I had

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