APA, Medical Partners Protest Proposed Rule That Could Deny Care to Transgender, Women Patients

APA and five other medical specialty organizations issued astatement today protesting aproposed rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would weaken nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals underSection 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.Section 1557 prohibits discrimination in health coverage and care on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in health programs and activities that receive federal funding. These includes most health care facilities, including hospitals and physician offices, and most health insurance companies. Under a2016 rule from the Obama administration, discrimination on the basis of sex includes gender identity.In addition to weakening protections for LGBTQ patients, the rule would allow religious exemptions that could restrict women ’s access to reproductive health care and weakens requirements that have enabled millions of patients with disabilities and limited English proficiency to access services, the groups noted.“Rolling back gender discrimination protections as the rule proposes would impede access to care and sanction discrimination against already vulnerable patient populations,” APA and its coalition partners said. “We oppose any laws and regulations that discriminate against transgender and gende r-diverse individuals. We oppose any medically unnecessary restrictions placed on women’s access to reproductive health care....
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ACA access to care Affordable Care Act APA Department of Health and Human Services discrimination LGBTQ protections Obama Administration proposed rule Section 1557 Trump administration Source Type: research