The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled against North Carolina and West Virginia, deeming their bans on coverage for gender-affirming care for certain populations as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Judge Roger Gregory stated that both the North Carolina State Health Plan and West Virginia Medicaid Program violated the Equal Protection Clause, and West Virginia's Medicaid Program also breached the Medicaid Act's and the Affordable Care Act's provisions.
Plaintiff Shauntae Anderson, a Black transgender woman, expressed relief after the ruling against West Virginia's denial of medically necessary care, calling it dehumanizing.
The lawsuits, representing transgender individuals in North Carolina and West Virginia, were supported by organizations like Lambda Legal and Nichols Kaster, ultimately leading to favorable district court rulings in 2022.
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