HHS Final "Conscience" Ruling
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/final-conscience-rule.pdfAGENCY: Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Office of the Secretary, HHS.
"prohibits discrimination by such entity against physicians or other health care personnel ... declining to perform or assist in any such service or activity based on religious beliefs or moral convictions, or the individual's religious beliefs or moral convictions respecting such services or activities more generally."
Trans? Gay? Queer? You can be declined care by any provider based on their religious or moral objections.
HHS has essentially handwaved away the complaints that prioritizing religious freedom over patient care could impact care for marginalized groups, LGBTQ+ folks in particular.
"The report provides anecdotal accounts of discrimination from LGBT residents of those states. However, the report does not attempt to determine if the laws passed by those states played any causal role in the discrimination experienced by the respondents, e.g., via comparison to LGBT individuals' experiences in states where no such laws had been passed.
Multiple comments provided lists of various incidents in which providers declined to participate in a service or procedure to which they had a religious or moral objection. Such lists offer no suitable data for estimating the impact of this rule."
AIDS Care
"The Department administers certain programs under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to which additional conscience protections apply.
...
cannot be required, as a condition of receiving such funds, (1) to "endorse or utilize a multisectoral or comprehensive approach to combating HIV/AIDS," or (2) to "endorse, utilize, make a referral to, become integrated with, or otherwise participate in any program or activity to which the organization has a religious or moral objection."
So, it's OK to receive federal founds for AIDS relief and then proceed to push an 'abstinence only' treatment plan.
General Care by Organizations Receiving Federal Funds - 42 U.S.C. 300a‐7(c)(2)
"This subparagraph prohibits discrimination by such entity against physicians or other health care personnel in employment, promotion, or termination of employment, as well as discrimination in the extension of staff or other privileges, because of an individual's performance or assistance in any lawful health service or research activity, declining to perform or assist in any such service or activity based on religious beliefs or moral convictions, or the individual's religious beliefs or moral convictions respecting such services or activities more generally."
