By Kellan Baker
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking public comments before finalizing a rule implementing the Health Care Rights Law (Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act). Under the Trump administration, key provisions of this law were gutted, and today, LGBTQI+ patients continue to face high rates of discrimination. The re-establishment and expansion of the nondiscrimination protections under Section 1557 — including specific protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people — are critical to improving access to health care and coverage for LGBTQI+ people.
If you are a scientist, clinician, researcher, or patient — no matter your role, experience-level, or discipline — you can advance health equity for all people, including LGBTQI+ people, by letting HHS know you support this proposed regulation.
These protections are particularly urgent as transgender and nonbinary people in states across the country face politically motivated attacks on their access to basic health care. These politicians have no business meddling in families’ personal health care decisions.
These attacks make clear that the federal government must finalize and implement expanded nondiscrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act to stop anti-trans attacks. Share your story and let HHS know: all people, including transgender people, deserve a fair opportunity to access the health care they need.
Whitman-Walker believes that all people, including transgender young people, deserve access to health care that helps them live safe and healthy lives.
