New Report: “Examining How Crisis Standards of Care May Lead to Intersectional Discrimination During COVID-19”

On February 11, 2021, ASAN, as part of a national coalition of civil rights groups and legal scholars, released a new report: “Examining How Crisis Standards of Care May Lead to Intersectional Medical Discrimination Against COVID-19 Patients.” Crisis standards of care are used to decide who should receive priority for treatment when there are not enough resources to serve everyone. The report explains crisis standards of care policies implemented by states and hospital systems and how they may discriminate against people with disabilities, older adults, higher weight people, as well as Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, in hospital care. It also outlines principles that can help prevent discrimination, the relevant civil rights legal framework, and recommended strategies to ensure that crisis standards do not discriminate during the pandemic or in the future. You can view the full guide here.