- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will largely undo a Trump-era rule that boosted the rights of medical workers to refuse to perform abortions or other services that conflicted with their religious or moral beliefs. The final rule released Tuesday partially rescinds the Trump administration’s 2019 policy that would have stripped federal funding from health facilities that required workers to provide any service they objected to, like abortions, contraception, gender-affirming care, and sterilization. The new rule is seen as an attempt to balance health worker and patient rights after the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights in 2022’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It’s also among regulatory efforts by the agency to address discrimination, including measures meant to protect the disabled and LGBTQI+ people. (Articles here and here; Press release here)
March 11, 2024
Access & Coverage | Tea Leaves