On Friday, March 24, 2019, the US Department of Health and Human
Services issued a proposed rule (along with a related fact sheet) under Section 1557 of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would make significant changes to
the final regulations issued in 2016. Section 1557, in effect since
the ACA was enacted in 2010, provides that an individual shall
not—on the grounds prohibited under Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, national origin), Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 (sex), the Age Discrimination Act of
1975 (age) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(disability)—be excluded from participation in, be denied the
benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any health
program or activity, any part of which is receiving federal
financial assistance, or under any program or activity that is
administered by an agency established under Title I of the ACA.
