New guidelines implemented under an executive order by President Donald Trump now allow VA hospital staff to refuse healthcare to veterans based on political affiliation and marital status, prompting concerns that Democratic and unmarried veterans may be denied treatment.
On January 30, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” While its primary aim was to curtail federal protections for transgender individuals, the order also triggered sweeping changes within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to the Guardian.
The VA, which serves over 9 million veterans across more than 170 hospitals and 1,000 clinics, revised its internal bylaws to strip longstanding protections against discrimination based on political party, marital status, sexual orientation and national origin.
The updated policies allow doctors, psychologists, dentists and other healthcare workers at VA hospitals to refuse treatment to veterans based on characteristics not explicitly protected by federal law. While veterans are still legally entitled to care, there is now no rule preventing staff from declining service to individuals based on their political beliefs or whether they are unmarried.
Internal documents reviewed by the outlet confirm that the changes are already in effect at some VA centers. The VA’s press secretary confirmed the revisions were made to align with Trump’s executive order but did not clarify what federal law required such shifts.
The new rules have drawn sharp criticism from medical experts and ethics professionals. Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the VA’s top health official, warned the policy could allow providers to deny care to patients based on rape allegations, political activity or substance use. Dr. Arthur Caplan of NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine called the changes “unethical” and “an effort to exert political control over the VA medical staff.”
Originally published on Latin Times
