Proposed Legislation to Support Healthcare Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed new regulations protecting the rights of people with disabilities in accessing health care and insurance coverage.  The proposed rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that health care providers “make reasonable modifications in policies, practices or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability.”  The proposed rulemaking also extends to making accessible “effective communication” via alternative formats or sign language interpreters, and would require that insurance providers offer equal coverage to persons with disabilities.

This comment period on this proposed legislation ends on 11/09/2015.  You can submit a formal comment here.