Biden Administration Roles Back Discriminatory Trump Policy in Healthcare
May 11, 2021Yesterday, US Secretary Xavier Becerra of the Department for Health and Human Services announced that LGBTQ people are once more protected from sex discrimination, a provision of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The move follows the commitment of President Joe Biden and his administration in protecting the LGBTQ community and defending their rights.
Becerra told CNN that “it simply says what everyone already should know: you should not discriminate against people, and that includes those based on sexual orientation or gender identity and when it comes to healthcare - we want to make sure that’s the case. He also said that the LGBTQ+ community’s access to healthcare should be free of interference and discrimination.
The Obama administration had included sex discrimination in healthcare in which the interpretation of the word “sex” was related to a person’s inner sense of being male, female, neither or a combination. As such, the protection applied to gay and transgender people as well. However, during the Trump years, “sex” was subjected to an ever-narrowing understanding.
The Trump administration went against the Supreme Court’s ruling that sex-based employment discrimination applied to LGBTQ people by nevertheless argued that “sex” only refers to sex assigned at birth and that a wider definition of the word would harm religious liberties of healthcare providers. Consequently, his administration excluded the trans community from receiving proper healthcare at hospitals, clinics and other medical providers due to discrimination.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reacted to the announcement by saying that “today, the Biden administration has taken essential and potentially life-saving action to affirm that all people in America have the right to quality, affordable health care — no matter who they are or whom they love. During this time of pandemic and always, it is vital that the most vulnerable have access to care, including LGBTQ Americans, who have long suffered injustice and discrimination that has left them dangerously exposed to health risks.
Victoria Kirby York, the deputy executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, which advocates for the empowerment of black LGBTQ people, said that “the Biden-Harris Administration will save lives, force equal treatment of all patients, and increase the likelihood that LGBTQ+ people will go to the doctor when they need to instead of being prevented by fear.
As of Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services will once more investigate complaints of LGBTQ discrimination in healthcare.
Read related myGwork articles here:
Arizona And Tennessee Pass Bills To Restrict Sexual And Gender Identity Education In Schools
Tennessee Becomes Third USA State This Month To Enact Restrictions For Trans Athletes
Texas Lawmakers Label Trans Care as Child Abuse
Montana Legislators Pass Two Bills Targeting Trans Youth
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews