Missouri Supreme Court upholds ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care

"Senate Bill 49, which Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed into law in June 2023, banned gender-affirming care for youth, while allowing those already receiving treatment to continue. The law also banned Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care - even for adults - and gender-affirming surgeries for incarcerated people. The same treatments are still legal for cisgender patients experiencing conditions such as early-onset puberty or a disorder of sex development."

"The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in December that would ban gender-affirming care for youth nationally, as well as a separate bill that would prevent Medicaid from covering the life-saving treatment. Both now go to the Senate, where it is unclear if they have the support needed to pass. Medicaid policy explicitly excludes trans-related health care for all ages in 11 states, according to the Movement Advancement Project: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas."

""Today is a disgraceful day as the courts once again failed Missourians," Katy Erker-Lynch, executive director of state LGBTQ+ policy group PROMO, said in a statement. "The Missouri Supreme Court let lies and disinformation dictate what our law should be rather than best healthcare practices recommended by every major medical association in this country.""

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously affirmed a 2023 law that prevents Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for transgender people of all ages while allowing similar treatments for other medical conditions. Senate Bill 49, signed in June 2023, banned gender-affirming care for minors, permitted continuation for those already in treatment, barred Medicaid coverage even for adults, and prohibited gender-affirming surgeries for incarcerated people. The U.S. House passed bills to ban youth gender-affirming care nationally and to block Medicaid coverage, sending measures to the Senate where their fate is uncertain. Multiple states explicitly exclude trans-related care from Medicaid coverage.

Read at Advocate.com