The new rules allow US Veterans Affairs doctors to refuse care for unmarried veterans and Democrats in hospitals across the country in accordance with President Donald Trump’s anti-trans executive order.
They will also apply to psychologists, dentists and other healthcare providers, according to the Guardian, who first reported hospital guidelines on Monday. This allows individual staff to refuse care of veterans based on traits that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion and gender.
Doctors may also ban work at VA hospitals based on marriage status status, party affiliation or union activities, as per the documents reviewed by the Guardian. The agency confirmed that rules have changed in response to Trump’s executive order.
Specifically, for each paper:
Until recent changes, VA Hospital bylaws stated that medical staff cannot “discriminate patients based on race, age, color, gender, religion, national origin, politics, marriage status status, or any employment issue. Some of these items have now been removed from that list, including “national origin”, “politics”, and “marriage status status”.
Similarly, the bylaws regarding “decisions on medical staff membership” prohibit VA hospitals from discriminating against candidates for staff status based on national origin, sexual orientation, marriage status status, membership in labor organizations, or “legal political party affiliation.”
Experts warn that changes to guidelines could raise patients questioning, for example, if a doctor could attend a political candidate’s meeting or support gay rights, and if the patient could refuse care, such as reasons to seek care, such as when he reported rape or sexual assault.
Veterans warn that they feel disproportionately affected by women and LGBTQ people.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
