HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell – Photo: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
New rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would effectively prohibit health care plans from denying coverage to transgender people for various treatments for gender dysphoria. The HHS rules, intended to implement nondiscrimination provisions contained in the Affordable Care Act, would classify gender identity discrimination as sex discrimination. To comply, plans would have to cover medically necessary medications, surgeries or other treatments for gender dysphoria if they cover similar services to non-transgender people with other medical conditions.
Once finalized, the HHS rules will apply to health insurance plans sold on either state or federal health care exchanges, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare, the Indian Health Service, and any health care provider who accepts federal funds. The rules will not apply to private health plans who neither accept Medicare or Medicaid and who offer insurance plans outside of the exchanges. While the rules do not specifically address programs such as veterans’ and military health care, those agencies are expected to implement the nondiscrimination provisions into their programs.
“The Department of Health and Human Service’s proposed rules have the potential to be life-saving for transgender people,” Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, remarked in a statement. “These rules will help finally make the promise of the Affordable Care Act real for transgender people — that they can find affordable health insurance that covers the essential care they need and doesn’t exclude care simply because of who they are.”
HHS will be accepting public comments on the proposed rules for 60 days.
Reports that the person who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk had left behind bullet casings engraved with phrases espousing "transgender ideology" have been debunked.
The rumor spread quickly after conservative commentator Steven Crowder posted to X on the morning of September 11 -- the day after the shooting -- claiming he had received an email from a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives officer describing such engravings.
Crowder shared what he said was an email from an ATF officer claiming investigators had recovered the weapon used in Kirk's killing, with one spent cartridge in the chamber and three rounds still in the magazine. The email further alleged the cartridges were engraved with "transgender and anti-fascist ideology."
Austin police are investigating whether an assault on a transgender woman and a male bystander at Barton Springs, a popular Austin swimming spot, was a hate crime. The incident occurred on July 26, when three men began flirting with the woman’s friends and then allegedly harassed her after she approached them.
"They said something along the lines of 'I don't support that lifestyle,' while pointing at me, which upset all three of us," said the transgender woman, whose name is being withheld for safety and privacy reasons, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
A new report published by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that an estimated 2.8 million Americans aged 13 or older identify as transgender.
According to NBC News, that figure represents about 1% of the U.S. population within that age group. The breakdown is nearly even: 34.2% identify as transgender men, 32.7% as transgender women, and 33.1% as nonbinary.
One statistic drew particular attention on social media: younger Americans are far more likely to identify as transgender than older generations. About 3.3% of those ages 13-17 identify as transgender, compared to just 0.3% of those 65 and older.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.