Dear John,

We have great news! A harmful Trump administration rule that granted health care providers the ability to deny essential medical services and procedures based on personal beliefs has been successfully reversed! The National Women’s Law Center has been leading the fight since it was first proposed:

• With your help, we ensured a strong showing against the rule, including over 200,000 comments submitted in opposition and over 10,000 comments submitted last year in support of the Biden administration’s proposal to reverse it.
• We went to court and successfully blocked the Trump rule! Representing Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Northern New England, we, Democracy Forward, and Covington & Burling brought a lawsuit that blocked the rule.
• We worked with members of Congress to introduce policy measures against the rule.
• We pushed the Biden administration to rescind the harmful rule, highlighting the harm when people are denied care based on a provider’s personal beliefs!

The Trump administration’s “Refusal of Care” rule allowed personal beliefs to dictate patient care. It granted health care providers, from doctors to hospitals, ambulance drivers to schedulers, the ability to refuse to provide essential medical services and procedures. This jeopardized the well-being and safety of patients and dramatically changed health care practices and protections.

Reversing this rule sends a clear message—patient health comes first. Patients should be able to seek medical attention without fear of being denied care due to the personal beliefs of health care professionals. Medical decisions should be based on established professional standards and the specific needs of patients rather than on individual beliefs.

This reversal marks significant progress for patient rights, but the National Women’s Law Center will remain vigilant to protect and advance these crucial principles to safeguard patient access to care. Will you join us in our pursuit to combat discrimination in health care and create a more just world, especially for women, girls, and the LGBTQIA+ community?

Thank you for your unwavering support for the work to empower patients and defend their rights!

In solidarity,

Katie O'Connor
she/her/hers
Director of Federal Abortion Policy
National Women's Law Center