Texan Christians Oppose Life-Saving HIV Drugs In Act Of Cruel Hypocrisy
On Wednesday, September 7, a court in Texas ruled that Braidwood Management has the right to refuse to provide medical insurance to employees needing PrEP. It is a requirement of the Affordable Care Act that high-risk patients must have access to PrEP as part of their insurance plans, but Braidwood Management say it violates their religious freedom to be “paying for homosexuality”, reports Los Angeles Blade.
THIS RULING HAS BIG IMPLICATIONS FOR US HEALTHCARE
Braidwood Management’s legal team argued that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act affords them the right to refuse to offer PrEP to their employees through their insurance plans. Braidwood claims to be a Christian institution and that Christians do not engage in activities that endanger them with HIV and should not be made to cover HIV prevention or medication, reports Washington Blade.
Judge Reed O’Connor of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in favour of Braidwood Management. According to sources, Judge O’Connor leans more in favour of conservative rulings.
LGBTQIA+ advocates fear that this ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Prior to Judge O’Connor’s ruling, the ACA meant insurers would cover almost 100% of the cost of HIV anti-retroviral medications. In the US, one month of PrEP can cost as much as USD2,000 without insurance as the federal government doesn’t subsidise the medicine. Most US citizens require their insurance providers cover the cost.
Braidwood Management’s claims that Christians are unlikely to contract HIV/AIDS is wholly detrimental to LGBTQIA+ advocacy work and deepens the stigma surrounding HIV. Furthermore, experts report concern that O’Connor’s ruling threatens preventative healthcare across the board, reports Washington Blade.
DNA OPINION
Choosing to restrict someone’s access to life-saving treatment because you don’t want to “facilitate and encourage homosexual behaviour” is, we believe, homophobic and arguably un-Christian.
October 14, 2022 Post Updated to add “DNA Opinion” and remove editorialising language
