FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2019
Contact: Shannon Minter – 415-624-6071; Email sminter@nclrights.org
NCLR says, “The Trump administration is inviting mistreatment of the LGBTQ community, which will likely result in thousands of people going without essential health care services and coverage.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today the Trump administration announced a proposed federal regulation that would eliminate critical nondiscrimination protections in health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) plans to eliminate key protections for LGBTQ people established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. The Health Care Rights Law, also known as section 1557 of the ACA, prohibits discrimination in the delivery of health care or in health insurance coverage. The current regulations make clear that this anti-discrimination provision includes LGBTQ people and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Today’s announcement would rescind those protections.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights’ (NCLR) Federal Policy Director Julie Gonen issued the following statement in response:
“Once again the Trump administration is on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of the law.
“The Health Care Rights Law ensures that LGBTQ people cannot be turned away by doctors and hospitals and health insurance companies, and now the Trump administration wants to eliminate those protections.
“With this proposed regulation, the Trump administration is inviting mistreatment of the LGBTQ community, which will likely result in thousands of people going without essential health care services and coverage.
“It is urgent that we come together and demand that the Department of Health and Human Services protect access to healthcare for LGBTQ people, withdraw this harmful regulation, and realize its mission of putting patients first.”
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org
