People with ME, Long COVID and other complex, chronic diseases have experienced all kinds of healthcare discrimination. Now there is an opportunity for you to share your story and urge our government to move forward with improved protections to secure access to healthcare that is free from discrimination or prejudice.
The deadline to submit a public comment is Monday, October 3rd at 11:59pm ET.
Let’s share our stories and tell HHS that discrimination has no place in health care!
What regulations are open for public comment?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed changes to regulations that would strengthen prohibitions against discrimination in certain health programs and activities. These proposed changes are to Section 1557, also known as the “Health Care Rights Law.” Section 1557 is the main nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
If these proposed changes are adopted, they will promote health equity for people with disabilities (such as ME/CFS or Long COVID) by strengthening nondiscrimination protections and improving access to healthcare. Section 1557 also prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or sex — including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
How do I submit a public comment?
If you’re low on energy “spoons,” the easiest and quickest way to submit a public comment is to use My Care Counts pre-populated form for commenting in support of the proposed changes to Section 1557. You don’t need to do any more than fill out your contact information and hit submit. If you have more energy or spoons, add in something to the comment box about your personal experience with healthcare discrimination that will underscore why these changes are needed.
You can also go to the official Regulations.gov comment page to read more about the changes and submit your comment independently. While the all the information on the regulations can be quite long and complex, don’t let that dissuade you from sharing your story about discrimination and simply telling the government that we need stronger nondiscrimination protections to ensure health equity for all.
The deadline to submit a public comment is Monday, October 3rd at 11:59pm ET.
How can I learn more about Section 1557?
- Check out My Care Counts resource page on Section 1557.
- Read the National Health Law Program’s introduction to Section 1557 and its other resources and analysis on these regulations.
- Review HHS’ official notice in the federal register or on regulations.gov.
