Today, in the midst of a global health pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized devastating changes to the Health Care Rights Law, also known as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The changes remove anti-discrimination protections in health care for LGBTQ+ people, women, people with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, and more. The removal of these protections encourages health care workers, medical facilities, and health insurance companies that receive federal funding to refuse to provide health care services to the LGBTQ+ community, among others.
LGBTQ+ people already face disturbing rates of health care discrimination—from harassment and humiliation by providers to being turned away by hospitals, pharmacists, and doctors. As the nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic, there could not be a more disgraceful time to allow the denial of medical care based on who you are.
“No one in the health care industry should ever be encouraged to pick and choose whom they serve. Fear of discrimination and harassment keeps many LGBTQ+ people from seeking the care they need, and this administration exacerbates the problem by consistently eliminating discrimination protections”, said Denise Spivak, CenterLink CEO.
This administration emboldens providers, insurance companies, hospitals, and others to discriminate against patients. CenterLink calls upon all health care providers to commit to rejecting this type of discrimination, and to protect every patient’s right to comprehensive health care.
If you or someone you know is experiencing trauma due to health care discrimination, visit lgbtcenters.org to find your local LGBTQ+ community center for support.
