Working to Secure LGBTQ+ Protections

January 6, 2025

In a joint brief to the US Court of Appeals, the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) joined the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and 23 other organizations to urge the court to preserve protections for patients in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community.

The amicus brief supports maintaining nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act for LGBTQ+ patients receiving health care services based on the following arguments:

• Many people who identify as LGBTQ+ who have chronic diseases and disabilities face distinct challenges when accessing health care.
• Discrimination in health care harms people who identify as LGBTQ+ in many ways.
• Preventing discrimination is integral to improving health outcomes, providing better preventive care, and increasing patient satisfaction with care.

The brief highlights that discriminatory practices lead to delayed treatments and poorer health outcomes for patients. To uphold the standards of timely and quality patient care, it is important to retain antidiscrimination protections in health care settings.

Read the full brief.