City and State File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Refusal-of-Care Rule

New York City, State Attorney General Letitia James and more than 20 other States and Municipalities filed a Lawsuit Tuesday to Challenge a Final Conscience, or Refusal-of-Care, Rule issued this Month by the Trump Administration.

The Lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleges the Rule puts Providers above Patients, undermines the Plaintiffs' Ability to Administer their Health Care Systems, and could keep the Plaintiffs from getting Hundreds of Billions of Dollars of Federal Health Care Funds each year if the Department finds they've Failed to comply with the Rule.

"Plaintiffs' Health Care Institutions operate to protect the Health and Welfare of their residents, yet the final rule undermines their efficient delivery of care and creates irrational, untenable and potentially cruel situations," the suit says.

The Plaintiffs cited potential examples in their Complaint, such as Prohibiting Health Care Institutions from inquiring whether a Candidate for a Nursing position has a Religious objection to Measles Vaccination. A Woman arriving at an Emergency Department with a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy could be Refused Assistance, regardless of the Medical Risk, they said.

Communities of Color and other Vulnerable Populations will "bear a disproportionate burden of the harms," the Plaintiffs said in their Complaint. Patients reliant on Federal Funding for the provision of Health Care are Disproportionately Nonwhite, they said, adding that Women and LGBTQ Individuals will be further Stigmatized when it comes to receiving the Medical Services they need.

"Heath care is a human right, and the Trump administration's repeated attempts to take it away from Americans is unconstitutional," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a Statement. "In New York City we organized, rallied, fought and won when he [President Donald Trump] tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and we'll do the same now."

Roger Severino, Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said in a Statement that, "The rule gives life and enforcement tools to conscience protection laws that have been on the books for decades."

"HHS finalized the conscience rule after more than a year of careful consideration and after analyzing over 242,000 public comments," Severino said. "We will defend the rule vigorously."










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