Threats to Nondiscrimination Protections: Guttmacher Institute Comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Abstract / Summary

In June 2019, the federal government proposed a rule that sought to undermine the nondiscrimination protections of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The Guttmacher Institute submitted a comment letter opposing these changes. Section 1557 (also known as the Health Care Rights Law) is intended to protect people who face serious barriers to care, including LGBTQ people, people who need reproductive health care, people of color, people living with disabilities or chronic conditions, and people whose primary language is not English. The proposed rule would attempt to narrow the scope of these protections and limit their enforcement.