() New guidelines allow doctors and other medical professionals working for the Veterans Affairs Administration to refuse to treat patients based on political or marital status.
The Guardian first reported on the rule, which still requires doctors to treat people without regard for federally protected characteristics, including race, religion, sex and color. All veterans are also still entitled to treatment.
However, the rule explicitly excludes provisions that require individual doctors to treat patients regardless of their political affiliation or marital status.
The rules were issued to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order designed to strip government protections from transgender individuals.
The rule allows doctors to refuse treatment based on nonprotected characteristics, which could also include behaviors such as the use of alcohol or other substances.
In addition, the new rules no longer prohibit the VA from discriminating against potential employees based on national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or membership in a labor union.
