President Biden Reinstates LGBTQ+ Health Care Protections

WASHINGTON D.C. — (04-29-24) — Last Friday, the Biden administration has reinstated federal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals seeking health care, reversing Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ-era policy. In a set of new rules unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services last Friday, the department moved to advance civil rights protections for patients by barring health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.

The HHS rule (Section 1557 Final Rule) restores former president Obama’s protections for transgender patients that the Trump administration rolled back in 2020 — a move that was condemned by LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organizations.

“Today’s rule is a giant step forward for this country toward a more equitable and inclusive health care system, and means that Americans across the country now have a clear way to act on their rights against discrimination when they go to the doctor, talk with their health plan or engage with health programs run by HHS,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a Statement released to the press last Friday.

This is a big relief for gender-affirming care patients who’ve become a political football for right wing conservatives, who in more than states, have attempted to restrict youth access to gender-affirming care.

Thanks to president Biden’s decision to reverse Trump’s draconian policy, it will ensure nondiscrimination in federally funded healthcare programs. Naturally right wing Republicans are reacted with distain.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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