WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society is alarmed by the Administration’s proposed rule to roll back protections for transgender individuals and narrow the scope of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone needs access to health care. The Society calls on the Administration to maintain access to care protections for all, particularly vulnerable populations.
The Society shares the concerns expressed by the Chairs of the House Committees that oversee the Department of Health and Human Services in a letter sent to the Administration today and urged the White House to not move forward with the rule.
The regulation will weaken the previous administration’s definition of “sex discrimination” to remove protections for gender identity, among other protections. Patients could be turned away or denied medical care because they are transgender, and the Society strongly opposes restricting access to care. The Society has already signed onto a letter to HHS along with 30 other health care organizations and submitted comments expressing serious concerns with the proposed rule.
The Endocrine Society’s position is to maintain access to care and protect transgender individuals from being turned away based on gender discrimination. It’s essential that transgender care is covered by insurance, and the Society encourages further research into transgender health to address gaps in knowledge.
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Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.
The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.
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