Under the rule, any individual or entity from doctors to front office staff to deny basic healthcare to patients based on religious or moral objections. Thus, he calls it the “Healthcare Refusal Rule.”
AG Becerra stated that the rule does not limit healthcare refusal to women’s access to abortion and contraception. It affects all medical services for LGBTQ individuals and children.
Becerra argues the Healthcare Refusal Rule will only encourage widespread discrimination
“This Rule only opens the door to widespread, unfettered discrimination against Californians, including those populations that have historically faced obstacles to obtaining care,” said the Attorney General in his motion.
Additionally, AG Becerra argued that the rule “unfairly targets” California as it “threatens to terminate billions of dollars in federal funding” for the state’s public health and other programs.
The Attorney General emphasized that the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Spending Clause, and the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.
