The Biden administration has once again redefined the concept of “sex” to align with progressive gender ideology politics, this time within the realm of healthcare.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has issued a final rule that provides extensive legal protections for transgender drugs and surgeries. This rule also allows individuals to take legal action against healthcare providers and insurers who do not offer support for these services.
The rule is justified by HHS under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. It would be applicable to healthcare providers or insurers that receive federal funding.
Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed his enthusiasm for the new rule, stating that it is a significant advancement for the country’s healthcare system. He believes that this rule will promote a fairer and more inclusive environment for all Americans. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of giving individuals the tools they need to address any instances of discrimination they may encounter when seeking medical care, interacting with health plans, or engaging with health programs administered by HHS.
Critics, however, argue that this rule represents the Biden administration’s most recent attempt to impose a transgender agenda on Americans through the use of federal rule-making.
“The healthcare mandate imposed by the Biden administration is an excessive exercise of power that completely disrupts the field of medicine,” expressed Julie Marie Blake, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom. She further stated, “The Affordable Care Act was never amended by Congress to redefine sex by including gender identity. This rule poses a threat to families and children as it advocates for risky and life-altering procedures like ‘gender-transition’ that involve the removal of healthy body parts or the suppression of puberty. The Biden administration’s rule is a detrimental change to the American healthcare system.”
In March, a federal district court made a ruling that prevented the Biden administration from mandating religious employers and religious healthcare providers to cover transgender drugs and surgeries.
The Department of Education, under the Biden administration, has introduced a rule that seeks to redefine sex. This rule has garnered significant national attention and has been met with strong opposition. Critics argue that this redefinition would have serious implications for women’s sports in schools, potentially putting an end to them as we currently know them. As a result, several states have already taken legal action to challenge this rule change.
The HHS rule change that mirrors the aforementioned one has garnered less attention, yet its impact could be just as significant.
Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, expressed concern about the Biden administration’s recent actions. He criticized the administration for both weakening protections for women and girls in Title IX and introducing what he referred to as “radical gender ideology” into hospitals and medical centers across the country. Schilling’s statement highlights the potential consequences of these policy changes.
According to Schilling, the rule would force healthcare providers to offer sex-change operations, puberty blockers, and other related treatments, even to minors. Failure to comply could result in the loss of their license.
According to Schilling, insurers will have no choice but to provide coverage for these procedures. Additionally, healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and other practitioners, will face intense pressure to assist with sex change surgeries, even if it goes against their personal beliefs and medical expertise. Failure to comply could result in career-ending lawsuits.
Schilling criticized the rule, stating that it not only invades the realm of medicine with politics, but also prioritizes an irrational ideology over science and biology.