For Immediate Release: December 29, 2022
  

NFPRHA Welcomes Biden Administration Proposed Repeal of Unlawful Health Care Refusal Rule  

Washington, DC – Today, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that, if finalized, would rescind the most harmful provisions of the Trump administration’s health care refusal rule that threatened to significantly expand the ability of health care providers and entities to withhold treatment, counseling, or medical information based on religious or moral beliefs—without any regard for patients’ health needs. The following is a statement by Clare Coleman, President & CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA):

“NFPRHA applauds the Biden administration for proposing to repeal the most harmful aspects of the dangerous Trump-era health care refusal rule that would have allowed health care providers to deny patients basic health information and care on the basis of moral or religious beliefs. The proposed rule appears to revoke the most damaging parts of a rule that aimed to promote discrimination, create barriers to care, and threaten the integrity of key HHS programs, including the Title X family planning program.

“This is a welcome move by President Biden that comes at a time of growing need for reproductive health care in this country. We are grateful that today’s action seeks to protect access to care for millions of people and safeguards the public’s health.

“Just as NFPRHA challenged the Trump administration’s rule in court to protect the delivery of high-quality family planning services and ensure patients get the critical information and care that they need, NFPRHA will continue to urge the Biden administration to prioritize access to care and patients’ rights.”

Link to NPRM: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/conscience-rule-nprm.pdf.

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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.