Fox News Digital reported that Rand Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky, introduced a new bill Tuesday to prevent hospitals that refuse critical care to patients who are not vaccinated from receiving taxpayer funds.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act, a proposed bill, seeks to hold healthcare institutions responsible by blocking federal funding.
Paul posted on Twitter Tuesday, “I’m leading a charge to hold taxpayer funded health institutions accountable for denial of critical care to unvaccinated persons,”
Paul stated to Fox News Digital that no American should be denied critical care due to a personal medical decision. Yet, tragically, many hospitals, and other medical facilities, continue to discriminate against COVID-19-infected patients.
He said, “The COVID-19 Immunization Non-Discrimination Bill will protect vulnerable patients’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions and ensure federal taxpayer dollars don’t support facilities that turn patients away based on their COVID-19 vaccine status.”
North Carolina Republican Rep. Dan Bishop introduced the legislation to the House. He called withholding critical health care due to vaccine status “injustice.”
Bishop stated that there is no reason medical facilities should refuse to provide care to patients based on COVID-19 vaccination status. He also said that federal funding should not be granted to institutions that perform such services.
According to Paul’s office, there have been instances where health care facilities denied care to unvaccinated patients. However, the American Medical Association instructed medical professionals to care for all patients, regardless of their vaccine status.
Duke University Hospital was recently accused by Yuliahicks, a 14 year-old girl from Ukraine, of refusing her a kidney transplant. She had not received any COVID vaccines.
Chrissy Hicks was Yulia’s adoptive mom. She told Fox News Digital that Yulia had been told by her mother, Chrissy, that if Yulia doesn’t get the vaccine, she won’t be getting a transplant.
Hicks stated, “And [the medical worker] said, Yes, that’s the one thing that’s holding us up.
Officials at Duke University Hospital declined to comment on Hicks’ case, but they said that “Our hearts go out for all families who are dealing with the serious illness or death of a loved.” Officials stated that organ transplants are “committed to making them accessible to as many patients eligible as possible.”
