America’s Essential Hospitals expressed concern that changes to nondiscrimination protections will decrease access and worsen outcomes for vulnerable patients, including transgender individuals and individuals with limited English proficiency.

The rule would eliminate protection from discrimination in health care settings based on gender identity and roll back requirements to notify individuals with limited English proficiency of antidiscrimination policies and access to translation services.

A House letter calling for a delay of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts has 178 bipartisan signatures; the deadline to sign is May 3. A House committee holds the first congressional hearing on the Medicare for All Act.

The bill is a step toward expanding Project ECHO, an innovative “hub and spoke” education model created at association member University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

Lawmakers are in recess this week following failure of the House to pass a bipartisan budget resolution. Last week, House and Senate committees tackled opioids, disparities, and mental health.

Lawmakers continue negotiations to respond to the president’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding. Also this week, an expert from association member The University of Chicago Medicine will participate in a Capitol Hill forum on minority health disparities.

The proposed rule extends nondiscrimination provisions to individuals based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The proposed rule also includes requirements for access for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency.

The CMS Equity Plan aims to reduce disparities in health care over the next four years for populations including racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, people with disabilities, and people living in rural areas.

Document, developed by association's policy advisory committee, demonstrates essential hospitals' commitment to and promotion of care equity, and supports risk adjustment for sociodemographic status in certain quality improvement measures