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Q&A
Addressing concerns about gender-affirming care and healthcare discrimination
3:02:03
ยท
3 min
Council Member Shahana K. Hanif raises concerns about the cancellation of gender-affirming care appointments and potential discrimination against patients based on gender identity. Acting Commissioner Michelle Morse discusses the city's stance on gender-affirming care and the roles of various agencies in addressing these issues.
- DOHMH expresses concern about access to gender-affirming care but does not directly offer or regulate these services
- The state health department and attorney general have been involved in ensuring healthcare providers meet legal requirements for non-discrimination
- DOHMH uses social media channels to educate the public about their rights regarding healthcare access
- Council Member Hanif emphasizes the need for clear communication from the administration on this issue, particularly given the vulnerability of trans individuals
Shahana K. Hanif
3:02:03
And hopefully the number is zero.
3:02:07
Moving on, it's been very painful and devastating to learn from some constituents of mine who have had preexisting appointments for gender affirming care canceled at NYU NYU Langone and Mount Sinai?
3:02:24
What is the administration doing to ensure that our health care providers are not discriminating against patients on the basis of gender identity?
3:02:35
And are you tracking which health care providers within the city are continuing to deliver, resume delivery of gender affirming care?
Michelle Morse
3:02:45
We are very concerned and are following very closely access to gender affirming care.
3:02:52
It's something that we at the health department do believe in, although we do not offer those services ourselves directly.
3:02:58
We don't, in the New York City health department, regulate our health care partners across the city.
3:03:04
That is the role of the state health department.
3:03:06
And my understanding is the state health department has been in contact with many different health providers across the city about their legal requirement to care for all people.
3:03:17
I also am aware of a letter from the attorney general at the state also stating those same values and legal requirements.
3:03:26
So we're very aligned with that, although we ourselves at the New York City Health Department don't enforce any assurances that the New York City health care delivery organizations would be doing that.
3:03:38
And then I did wanna just follow-up on your prior question about the number of organizations or clinics that might be in violation of local law 75.
3:03:46
It's not our agency that does the enforcement of that law.
3:03:50
It's DCWP that does enforcement related to violations for local law 75.
Shahana K. Hanif
3:03:57
Thank you.
3:03:58
And, I understand that the state department has jurisdiction over health care providers, but what is the city specifically doing to ensure that that news, that information is reaching New Yorkers?
3:04:13
Has there been any outreach around not discriminating health care providers not discriminating against folks with folks with gender identity?
Michelle Morse
3:04:28
Absolutely.
3:04:28
Yes.
3:04:29
Well, we I am happy to follow-up with communications that have described that.
3:04:34
We use our social media channels that are both on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as Instagram, as channels to educate the public about their rights, and we have done, social media posts to that effect.
3:04:47
We're happy to follow-up with those specific posts.
Shahana K. Hanif
3:04:50
That would be great because I I certainly haven't seen anything clear on this issue from the administration.
3:04:59
And with our civil rights being stripped away and trans folks particularly being very, very vulnerable, we can't be the city that allows for our hospitals to deny care.
Michelle Morse
3:05:13
Thank you.
3:05:13
We understand and agree.