The Hippocratic Oath is one of the most sacrosanct documents for any industry. This is the promise all doctors make when entering the profession, declaring that they will provide healthcare to the best of their abilities, regardless of the patient’s personal needs. Moreover, the doctor will maintain the strongest confines of ethical boundaries. 

This is a recitation that dates back to its naming after the Greek physician Hippocrates, circa the 5th century BCE. Now that President Trump has signed an executive order targeting healthcare for transsexual people, the good ol’ days of morals, ethics, and providing healthcare to all could be a relic of the ancient past. 

UK newspaper, The Guardian, obtained new guidelines provided to the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), noting that VA hospitals nationwide “could refuse to treat unmarried veterans and Democrats.” 

The new rule changes targeting “gender ideology” apply to professionals across disciplines, including doctors, certified nurse practitioners, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, and speech therapists. Despite what was unearthed by The Guardian, medical staff are still mandated to treat any veteran regardless of race, color, religion, or gender. 

That medical care is guaranteed to them via their brave and remarkable service to this country. Yet, thanks to this novel legislation, individual VA workers are permitted to decline care for patients “based on personal characteristics.” This means terms like “national origin,” “marital status,” and “politics” are removed from the list of absolutes. 

As in, “I am sorry you may be dying of pneumonia, but you voted for the wrong guy, so could you come back tomorrow?” 

The upsetting thing is this isn’t some local county hospital with ultra (insert your party here) views. The VA comprises 170 hospitals and 1,000 clinics nationwide. It employs 26,000 doctors and is the largest integrated hospital system in the country, serving approximately 9 million patients annually. 

The alarming story raised the concerns of the VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz, who offered a cryptic statement to the UK paper: “All eligible veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they’ve earned under the law,” he said in a statement, calling the rule changes a mere ‘formality.’”

Notice: He never denied doctors could refuse treatment to anyone based on their whim. Fortunately, the VA social media team took a firmer stance than Kasperowicz did.

This story is disinformation. All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they’ve earned under the law. https://t.co/OBOlzm6LNv

— Veterans Affairs (@DeptVetAffairs) June 16, 2025

Dr. Arthur Caplan, founding head of the division of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, told The Guardian that the VA’s new rules were “extremely disturbing and unethical.”

“It seems on its face an effort to exert political control over the VA medical staff,” Caplan said. “What we typically tell people in healthcare is: ‘You keep your politics at home and take care of your patients.’”

At least, that’s how it should be.