Tag: Affordable Care Act

Chair Comments on 2022 Section 1557 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)

On behalf of the members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), the Chair submitted comments on the latest Section 1557 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to the Director for the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The current regulatory interpretation of Section 1557, the nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act,  prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. This NPRM proposes to strengthen 1557 by extending these protections to persons identifying as LGBTQ+, persons with limited English proficiency, and older adults.  Furthermore, the proposed rule would: require health insurance carriers or entities receiving federal dollars comply with 1557; apply the protections to Medicare Part B; and strengthen the process related to religious freedom objections.

Review the comments

Affordable Care Act Section 1557 Letter

LCAO letter, signed by 30 member organizations, encouraging the Department of Health and Human Services to fully carry out the final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and expressing opposition to any effort to reopen it or roll back its patient and consumer protections. Section 1557 and its rule are critically important to protecting older Americans not only from age discrimination but also from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, limited English proficiency, disability, or sex, including discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sex stereotypes.

LCAO ACA Section 1557 Letter