U.S. District Judge Reed O’ Connor continues to come under fire for putting a stop to the enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1557, which prevents physicians from discriminating patients based on gender identity.
O’ Connor’s decision was put forward in a case by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton along with eight other states, which claimed that such section from the ACA encroaches upon the rights and freedom of doctors who believe that offering medical care to transgender patients is immoral. The ruling is expected to bring on a critical impact on individuals working in transgender medicine. The Callen Lorde Community Health Center (CLCHC) in New York has spoken about the increased need for education among healthcare providers and the public regarding the healthcare and rights of the LGBT community.
"This federal ruling lets us know there is more to be done to ensure that there are enough competent, capable, sensitive physicians and service providers that can promote the health of our communities," explained Kimberleigh Joy Smith, CLCHC senior director for community health planning and policy.
According to Smith, healthcare and protection for the transgender community have already been passed at a local level, such as Medicaid covering trans healthcare in New York. However, in the findings gathered by the National Center for Transgender Equality, transgender discrimination remains evident in the healthcare environment. For instance, 19 percent of transgender people were refused to be given medical care due to their gender while 28 percent experienced a form of harassment in medical settings. As a result, many transgender people have avoided approaching doctors when they are unwell.
Under the Obama administration, a number of laws were passed, deeming transgender discrimination as an illegal act. On the other hand, O’ Connor’s ruling is now being considered an outrage for challenging equal rights. As such rule has an impact on “almost all licensed physicians,’ O’ Connor believes that the ruling, which is applicable nationwide, halting the effectiveness of the transgender provisions is only fitting.
