Ohad "Ady" Barkan was an American lawyer and liberal activist best known for fighting for access to
universal health care, improved home health support and other reforms to America’s health-care
system. He was also a co-founder of the Be a Hero PAC and was an organizer for the Center for Popular
Democracy, where he led the Fed Up campaign. Barkan studied political science at Columbia University,
where he became increasingly involved in student activism. After graduating from college, Barkan
... moreOhad "Ady" Barkan was an American lawyer and liberal activist best known for fighting for access to
universal health care, improved home health support and other reforms to America’s health-care
system. He was also a co-founder of the Be a Hero PAC and was an organizer for the Center for Popular
Democracy, where he led the Fed Up campaign. Barkan studied political science at Columbia University,
where he became increasingly involved in student activism. After graduating from college, Barkan
worked as a community organizer for several years before attending law school at Yale University. As a
lawyer, Barkan focused on civil rights litigation and advocacy. At 32 he was diagnosed with a
neurodegenerative disease ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) which inspired him to advocate for
healthcare reforms. In 2017, Barkan confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in 2017, asking him to "be
a hero" and vote no on a tax bill that threatened cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Barkan
was also an influential voice in progressive circles. He wrote frequently for publications such as The New
York Times, The Nation, and The Huffington Post, and he appeared on television news programs to
discuss current events and legal issues.
