U.S. judge blocks Biden administration's anti-discrimination rule

A federal judge in Mississippi has halted the Biden administration's efforts to enforce a recent rule aimed at preventing discrimination based on gender identity in health care.

U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, ruling in favor of 15 Republican-led states, blocked the implementation of the rule, stating that it exceeded the administration’s authority.

New Rule and Its Scope

The blocked rule, which was set to take effect on Friday, sought to extend the federal prohibition on sex discrimination, included in the Affordable Care Act, to cover discrimination against transgender individuals.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the authority behind the rule, has not yet provided a comment following the judge's decision.

This ruling comes after President Joe Biden's executive order in 2022, instructing federal agencies to work towards ensuring transgender individuals' access to health care.