The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources finalized a rule on June 12, 2020 regarding Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that removes “gender identity” and “gender expression” from the protections against discrimination “on the basis of sex.” This action effectively reverses federal protection against discrimination in healthcare and in health insurance coverage that was explicitly inclusive of transgender men, transgender women, gender nonbinary and other members of the LGBTQ community. The rule also eliminated protection against discrimination for terminations of pregnancy.
As a health care organization, and as part of a world-renowned academic medical center, we would like to affirm to our patients that this change in federal rules announced on Friday afternoon will not diminish any access, care, services, or support from USC Student Health. Although most insurance plans carried by California residents, including the Student Health Insurance Plan and Medi-Cal Managed Care plans, will not be affected by the new rule, we encourage you to verify other coverage. We firmly believe that all patients deserve to be treated with respect, sensitivity, and understanding for their individual identity and context….Continue Reading Regarding Rule 1557 of the ACA