Proposed Trump Regulation Likely to Harm LGBTQ Folks

A new regulation proposed by the Trump administration to reverse the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) has professionals and advocates jumping into action, as the results could be harmful to the LGBTQ community.

The regulation is specifically looking at removing the nondiscrimination rule within ACA that explicitly prohibits gender identity discrimination, including discrimination against intersex and non-binary people, in healthcare facilities and programs receiving federal funding. The rule currently also prohibits some forms of sexual orientation discrimination that take the form of sex stereotyping.

Additionally, the proposed revision would impact Medicaid regulations, possibly removing language that explicitly prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in Medicaid enrollment and availability of services.

“This proposed regulation would have far-reaching implications for the LGBT community, all of them negative,” said Carl Sciortino, vice president of government & community relations at Fenway Health. “If this rule is enacted, the Trump Administration will succeed in reversing much of the progress made in federal health policy over the past decade.”

The full brief written by The Fenway Institute of Fenway Health including the scope of impact if this proposal is passed is available here.

The public has until August 13, 2019 to offer comment on the proposed regulation, and the authors of the brief urge healthcare professionals and advocates to submit comment urging the Trump Administration to reconsider the proposal.