On May 2, 2019, the Trump administration announced an expanded “Conscience care” rule which would allow providers to opt out of providing services that violate their moral or religious beliefs. If healthcare institutions do not follow the directive, they will lose federal funds. The rule has been described as overly broad and allows anyone from a receptionist to a board member to deny care for these reasons. This policy builds on the back of laws which were already in place to protect medical providers but goes beyond those previous actions. The implementation of the rule was delayed on July 1 by 4 months, due to lawsuits challenging it. LGBTQ organizations fear that in addition to making it harder for some to access reproductive care, the rule will also be used to discriminate against trans and other LGBTQ individuals.
