This webinar took place on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET.
Last month, the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS OCR) announced a new proposed rule implementing the Health Care Rights Law (HCRL), also known as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Older adults, especially people of color, immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals, often face discrimination in health care settings that leads to poorer health outcomes. The HCRL and its implementing regulations are critical to preventing and redressing such discrimination.
This webinar will provide an overview of the HCRL, discuss how the current and proposed regulations impact older adults, and provide ways for advocates to engage in the rulemaking process. Presenters will discuss how the new proposed rule takes important steps to restore vital anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ seniors and language access protections for limited English proficient (LEP) older adults that were gutted in 2020 by the previous administration. HHS is also proposing to further strengthen anti-discrimination protections by broadening application of the rule to all Medicare providers and requiring staff training on language assistance, effective communication, and reasonable accommodations.
The proposed rule is open for a 60-day public comment period through October 3, 2022. In the coming weeks, Justice in Aging will provide updates and resources for aging advocates to engage in the rulemaking process on our HCRL webpage.
Who Should Participate:
Aging and legal advocates, advocates serving LGBTQ+ and LEP communities, community-based providers, and others wanting to learn more about changes to the regulations implementing the Health Care Rights Law and the impact on older adults.
Presenters:
Natalie Kean, Director of Federal Health Advocacy, Justice in Aging
Denny Chan, Managing Director of Equity Advocacy, Justice in Aging
Murray Scheel, Senior Attorney, Justice in Aging
