The Trump administration is proposing to undermine strong and clear protections against discrimination in health care by giving health care providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurers a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people and patients who speak languages other than English, and people who need access to abortion services.
We can’t let that happen and we need to make sure the Health and Human Services Department hears loud and clear that giving health care professionals a license to discriminate against transgender and queer New Mexicans (and many others) is unacceptable and inequitable.
THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT COMMENT IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 13TH
In addition to erasing the existing regulation’s explicit protections for LGBTQ people, the proposed rule would also:
Erase sexual orientation and gender identity protections in 10 other regulations unrelated to the Health Care Rights Law, including prohibitions on discriminating against people because of their sexual orientation in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
Weaken language access protections, harming the ability of patients who speak languages other than English to understand information about their medical care and coverage
Eliminate all requirements to notify patients of their rights and grievance procedures
Add broad religious exemptions for health care providers and insurers, permitting providers to discriminate based on sex
Allow insurers to employ marketing practices or benefit designs to discourage people with HIV from enrolling in certain health plans, which could potentially force these individuals to buy more expensive plans
Drastically limit the entities covered under the nondiscrimination protections