The Biden White House this week reversed the discriminatory policies against LGBTQ people’s access to health care enacted by the previous administration.
In a nutshell, this means that “the federal government will begin enforcing protections for LGBT Americans in health care again, reversing a ban put in place by the Trump administration, the Health and Human Services Department said Monday,” explains Bloomberg Law.
With some state legislatures taking steps to write discrimination into state laws, enforcing federal anti-discrimination protections is crucial.
In a statement from the Boston-based GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Janson Wu, GLAD’s executive director wrote:
We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for its affirmation that access to health care without discrimination is a matter of equity and fairness and is critical to individual wellbeing.
We hear frequently from LGBTQ people reporting discrimination they experience in healthcare settings and programs, including insurance coverage, and we know that such discrimination leads to negative health outcomes in our community. It is welcome news that the Office of Civil Rights will enforce the law to address anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The administration’s announcement today conforms to both the language of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and established case law. The degree to which people can count on their ability to access healthcare free from discrimination should not depend on who is in the White House. Congress should take inspiration from today’s announcement to act on its responsibility to solidify critical nondiscrimination protections in healthcare and other vital areas by passing the Equality Act.
LGBTQ people in New England who have questions about what this announcement means, or who experience discrimination in accessing healthcare are encouraged to reach out to GLAD at www.GLADAnswers.org.
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