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Happy September!
SOGI reporting has changed and we don’t want to let your equity work stall. HRSA’s final 2025 UDS update removed sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) measures to “align with Administration priorities.” In parallel, CMS rescinded prior guidance that encouraged states to add SOGI questions to Medicaid/CHIP applications, further shrinking federal data collection. Multiple agencies have also been scrubbing LGBTQ+ content and data from federal sites, signaling a broader pullback by the administration.
Leading advocates, including Equality California, have formally objected to the policy change, warning that losing SOGI data weakens our overall ability to spot and close care gaps. Independent analysts now expect a decrease in the availability and timeliness of federal SOGI-related data, further complicating disparity tracking.
What does this mean for health centers? The federal mandate has been removed, but your community’s needs have not changed. Some states, payors, and partners will still expect SOGI-sensitive workflows, and many boards will remain committed to equity metrics even if they are no longer required by UDS. The question is not IF you collect the data thoughtfully, it is HOW you can do it well, safely, and sustainably.
How CURIS can help There are four practical, mission-first ways that our team can support your health center through changes such as this data swing:
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Decision brief and policy update. We can tailor a policy that reflects your state, payors, and board commitments with consent and privacy language and scripts for your providers to use.
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EHR workflow and reporting tune-up. We can build or refine discreet, trauma-informed SOGI capture, update data fields, and fine-tune UDS mapping so that nothing breaks elsewhere due to this change.
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Risk, compliance, and communication kits. We can help your team understand HIPAA implications, develop staff training, add patient FAQs, and create a board-ready summary that aligns equity goals with today’s rules.
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Equity dashboards without SOGI data. We can create practical proxies and stratifications so that your center can still monitor access, quality, and outcomes.
If you would like a quick review and proposal on how we can help, reply to this email with “SOGI help” and we will get your plan moving! info@curis-consulting.com
We Hope To Hear From You Soon!
The CURIS Team
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