ACLU-WV has joined tens of thousands of voices demanding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abandon a proposed rule change that would allow discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people in health care.
The rule currently in place, titled “Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities,” was implemented after years of review and consideration of comments from a variety of stakeholders. Now, the Trump administration wants to erase trans people from the protections contained in the Health Care Rights Law.
“Discrimination in the health care context leads to lasting harms to people’s health and wellbeing, and the Department made detailed factual findings to that effect in support of the Current Rule: People subject to discrimination postpone or fail to obtain health services and are denied necessary care; such discrimination exacerbates health disparities in underserved communities,” ACLU-WV said in its submission.
Transgender people are among the most vulnerable people in our society. One in three trans people nationwide say they have been refused medical services. To strip their protections is unconscionable.
Targeting the trans community has sadly become a favorite pastime of the Trump administration. To date, the administration has:
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Banned transgender members of the military from openly serving and accessing certain critical medical procedures.
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Reversed positions as to whether federal law protects transgender people from workplace discrimination.
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Proposed allowing taxpayer-funded shelters to turn away transgender people experiencing homelessness.
We have until the end of the day today to submit comments opposing this rule change. Submit your comments here.