The proposal would dismantle a federal regulation explicitly banning transgender discrimination in health care settings
[New York, N.Y.] — Today, the Trump administration continued its assault on the most vulnerable LGBTQ+ Americans, including transgender elders, by proposing to undermine protections in the Affordable Care Act that protect transgender people.The Affordable Care Act explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, disability, national origin and sex. Current regulations interpret the law to bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Undercutting these protections could put the lives of transgender people in jeopardy, by emboldening health insurers, hospitals, clinics, and any other entities that receive federal funds to deny them lifesaving care. Because transgender elders are particularly vulnerable, this threat is of particularly grave concern to SAGE.
“We are outraged by this proposal. It is reprehensible that the Trump administration would endanger our most vulnerable, especially transgender elders, by trying to empower health providers to deny life or death treatment to someone simply because of who they are,” said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “We cannot take a step back when people’s lives are on the line. This rollback is an attack on all transgender people, including our elders.”
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SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers. SAGE also advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBTQ+ elders, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, and cultural competency training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates SAGENet, a growing network of affiliates in the United States. Learn more at sageusa.org.
