Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on Tuesday introduced the ‘COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act,’ which will guarantee federal taxpayer dollars are not used to support health care facilities that refuse care to patients based on their COVID vaccination status.
The bill will both “Ensure that health care facilities that discriminate against patients based on their COVID-19 vaccination status are barred from receiving federal funds” and “Protect vulnerable patients’ right to make their own private health care decisions without being penalized for making those decisions.”
“No American should be denied access to critical care based on a personal medical decision, yet tragically, many hospitals and other medical facilities continue to discriminate against those unvaccinated for COVID-19,” said Senator Paul.
“The COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act will protect the rights of vulnerable patients to make their own health care choices and ensure that federal taxpayer dollars do not support facilities that turn away patients based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.”
According to a press release, Representative Dan Bishop (R-NC-8) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“There’s no reason that medical facilities should deny care to people based on their COVID-19 vaccination status, and there’s certainly no reason for institutions that do so to receive any federal funding,” said Rep. Bishop.
“Unfortunately, this is happening far too often, including in my home state of North Carolina. The COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act will remedy that injustice, and affirms that people have the right to make their own medical decisions.”
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), the press release notes.
“There is no place in the medical profession for discrimination,” the release goes on to say. “The Hippocratic Oath demands that doctors care for their patients without prejudice and abstain from any intentional wrong-doing or harm. This bill will enshrine that basic principle in law.”
Read the bill:
