On Aug. 4, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its proposed rule, Nondiscrimination in Health Care and Activities (Proposed Rule), to revise its regulations pertaining to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The aim of Section 1557 is to ensure access to health care and coverage in certain health programs or activities. The Proposed Rule aims to realign the scope of Section 1557 — which has been subject to several regulatory changes, interpretations and litigation throughout several presidential administrations — with the underlying statutory and regulatory intent, after the 2020 Final Rule regarding Section 1557 was limited in its reach following challenges to the regulation in litigation.
Read full alert.