HHS Updates Section 1557’s Nondiscrimination Provisions
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released a final rule that clarifies and updates nondiscrimination protections under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Among other changes, the rule prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy or pregnancy termination and restores protections that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The rule also requires that health care providers inform patients of the availability of language assistance services and that various accessibility services are available at no cost to the patient. And with the increased awareness and use of artificial intelligence, the rule clarifies that nondiscrimination requirements continue to apply to the use of artificial intelligence, clinical algorithms, and predictive analytics. More information can be found here.
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