A coalition of 23 attorneys general has filed a motion for summary judgment asking for the Trump administration’s rule that makes it easier for healthcare providers and insurance companies to discriminate against vulnerable and protected classes of Americans to be vacated and set aside.
The rule undermines section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the first federal civil rights law to expressly prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in federal healthcare programs.
In May, the AGs urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services not to finalize its proposed regulation, which sought to undermine Section 1557’s critical anti-discrimination protections for marginalized populations, including the LGBTQ community, women, communities of color, and individuals with disabilities.
In July, the group filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s final rule.
Federal judges out of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the District of Columbia have recently blocked HHS from enforcing portions of the rule in cases filed by private litigants.
“No one should ever have to fear being discriminated against, especially by a healthcare provider, because of who they are,” said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. “The Trump administration’s rule is discriminatory, unlawful, and dangerous and is just another attempt to try and marginalize certain groups of Americans. We are still in the middle of a national public health crisis and we cannot allow the Trump Administration to make it even harder for certain Americans to have access to affordable health care.”
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