WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a final rule on Friday rolling back regulations that protect LGBTQ+ patients, patients with disabilities and patients with limited English proficiency, among others, from discrimination in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, also known as the “Health Care Rights Law.” Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur:

“The Trump-Pence Administration’s response to COVID-19 has ranged from incompetent to illogical to reckless. But this is a new low. To roll back healthcare protections for LGBTQ+ patients in the middle of a global pandemic is heartless and cruel. But to do so on the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando is especially despicable.

“Transgender and gender-nonconforming people deserve healthcare. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer people deserve healthcare. People with disablities and people for whom English is not their first language deserve health care. No one should be denied this basic human right because of who they are or who they love. Shame on Donald Trump and his administration for saying otherwise.”

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination in healthcare and health insurance coverage on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. The section applies to all health programs and activities that receive federal funding — which includes most hospitals, doctors’ offices and health insurance companies in the nation. Congress’s clear intent was to protect all Americans from discrimination. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted a regulation — rolled back by the rule announced today — explaining that Section 1557‘s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community.

###