​The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities. 42 U.S.C. 18116.
Where can I find more information?
OCR has issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care.

• Read the final rule
• Section 1557 Fact Sheet (available in 17 languages)
• Section 1557 Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I believe I have been discriminated against under Section 1557?

• You can file a complaint with OCR if you have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in a covered health program or activity.
• We will promptly inform you as to whether we have jurisdiction to investigate your complaint. If we determine that we do not have jurisdiction over the entity named in your complaint, but we believe a different federal agency may have jurisdiction, we will forward the complaint to the appropriate agency.
• If you are not sure about whether OCR has jurisdiction to investigate your complaint, file a complaint with our office and we will help answer your questions through the complaint intake process and our initial evaluation of the complaint. For more information on how to file a complaint, click here.
• Please note that Section 1557 prohibits retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint. When investigating a complaint, OCR informs all recipients of the prohibition on retaliation. In addition, during the complaint process, OCR will seek the complainant's consent to reveal his/her identity or identifying information, if necessary, to investigate the complaint. Consent is voluntary, and it is not always needed to investigate a complaint. Failure to provide consent, however, may make it difficult to investigate some aspects of the complaint.

TO CONTINUE:​https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.html

​Nearly Nearly one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said tNearly one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said those experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults.

​April 3, 2024, 6:53 PM EDT
By Jo YurcabaLesbian, NBC News

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer adults are twice as likely as their non-LGBTQ counterparts to report having had negative health care experiences over the last three years, according to a new report.
One-third (33%) of LGBTQ adults say they were treated unfairly or with disrespect or had at least one negative experience with a health care provider, compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ adults, according to a new report by KFF, a health care and polling nonprofit formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Of the LGBTQ adults who reported negative experiences, 61% said a provider assumed something about them without asking, suggested they were personally to blame for a health problem, ignored a direct request or question or refused to prescribe needed pain medication, compared to 31% of non-LGBTQ adults who reported negative experiences.

Those negative encounters have an effect on LGBTQ adults’ health, the survey found. Of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences in the last three years, nearly one-quarter (24%) said those experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults; 39% said those experiences made them less likely to seek health care, compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ adults; and 36% said such negative experiences caused them to switch health care providers, compared to 16% of non-LGBTQ adults. 

 Lindsey Dawson, director of LGBTQ health policy at KFF, said the report provides a helpful update on the experiences of LGBTQ people at a time when dozens of state bills have targeted their access to health care and protections from discrimination.

TO CONTINUE READING:  https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/1-3-lgbtq-adults-say-ve-treated-unfairly-health-care-provider-rcna146310

Nearly one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said those experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults.hose experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults.one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said those experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults.

Peter Treitler, PhD1,2; Stephen Crystal, PhD1,3,4; Joel Cantor, ScD1; et alOriginal Investigation Substance Use and Addiction March 25, 2024

Key Points
​Question  Is implementation of an emergency department (ED)–based peer recovery support program for opioid overdose associated with improvements in initiation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD)?
Findings  In this cohort study of 12 046 patients treated for nonfatal opioid overdose, those treated in EDs that implemented peer support were significantly more likely to initiate MOUD than patients treated in comparison EDs. The outcome varied across EDs and by time since peer support implementation.
Meaning  The findings suggest that ED-based peer recovery support is associated with increased postdischarge MOUD receipt, but outcomes likely depend on additional factors such as program characteristics and availability of other substance use disorder services.

TO CONTINUE READING:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2816733

Opponents of SSPs argue that they enable drug use and make neighborhoods less safe. However, when
implemented according to best practices, there is actually plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Dr. Jerome Adams and Mazen Saleh  Opinion contributors USA TODAY

It can seem counterintuitive to provide clean syringes to individuals who inject drugs. After all, why make it easier to consume illicit substances that are increasingly resulting in overdoses?
In the fight against fentanyl, however, a clean syringe can be a lifesaving connection. We might not be able to stop every overdose, but if we can provide a tool to forge those connections and make illicit drug use safer, then we should.

Colloquially known as syringe services programs, SSPs aim to reduce infectious disease transmission acquired from shared needles. In this regard they are undeniably effective, yielding a 50% reduction in HIV and hepatitis C transmission.

Syringe exchange programs are certainly not without controversy, but having been around for more than three decades, SSPs are neither novel nor lacking in evidence of their public health efficacy and societal cost savings.

TO CONTINUE READING: ​https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/04/03/fentanyl-opioid-epidemic-syringe-services-harm-reduction/73169725007/