The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) appreciates the opportunity to respond to the notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards. Medicare Rights is a national, nonprofit organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs, and public policy initiatives. Each year, Medicare Rights provides services and resources to over three million people with Medicare, family caregivers, and professionals.
In November, HHS issued a Notice of Nonenforcement stating that it would no longer enforce regulations that prohibit certain types of discrimination in taxpayer-funded programs and services.1 Soon after, HHS published this proposed rule to codify this new, damaging policy. If finalized, this change would effectively permit HHS grantees to discriminate on the grounds of gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, and (in certain instances) religion, and would allow such grantees to refuse to serve people who belong to these groups.
Medicare Rights opposes this proposed rule and urges HHS to withdraw it as well as the Notice of Nonenforcement…
