The House's tax bill is a direct assault on the rights and health of transgender Americans. It proposes stripping Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for all ages, as well as barring such care from being an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act. This discriminatory exclusion threatens access to life-saving healthcare for hundreds of thousands of transgender people.
Around 185,000 transgender adults rely on Medicaid as their primary insurance. Nearly 25% of all transgender adults are on Medicaid due to factors like employment discrimination. Cutting this coverage jeopardizes their ability to receive hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, and other vital transition-related services. For many, these treatments are essential for managing gender dysphoria and maintaining mental health.
The bill's changes to the ACA could also codify the Trump regime's attempt to remove gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit for all insurance plans. This would make comprehensive transgender healthcare unaffordable or outright unavailable even for those with private insurance.
Denying access to transition-related care actively endangers the lives and wellbeing of a vulnerable population that already faces high rates of violence, discrimination, and economic instability. It serves no purpose other than pushing an ideological agenda at the expense of people's fundamental rights.
Any version of H.R. 1 containing these cruel and unethical exclusions must be forcefully rejected. Upholding equality and safeguarding access to healthcare should be non-negotiable principles. I urge you to stand against this blatant attack on the transgender community and oppose any legislation that compromises their ability to receive critical, potentially life saving medical treatment.
First sent on May 28 by Coleman
