Attorney General James' Statement On Win In Refusal Of Care Lawsuit

Attorney General James' Statement on Win in Refusal of Care Lawsuit

NEW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement in response to a decision to invalidate the Trump Administration’s “refusal of care” rule and block it from taking effect:

“Health care is a basic right that should never be subject to political games. Once again, the courts have blocked the Trump Administration from implementing a discriminatory rule that would only hurt Americans. The refusal of care rule was an unlawful attempt to allow health care providers to openly discriminate and refuse to provide necessary health care to patients based on providers’ ‘religious beliefs or moral objections.’ We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect access to health care and protect the rights of all individuals.”

In May 2019, Attorney General James led a coalition of 23 states, cities, and municipalities in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services over the “refusal of care” rule. The rule sought to expand the ability of businesses and individuals to refuse to provide necessary health care on the basis of businesses' or employees’ “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”