File photo of Emmett Schelling, executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, speaking at a rally protesting Gov. Greg Abbott’s anti-trans directive to DFPS. (Erich Schlegel/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign)
On Friday, March 1, Texas Health and Human Services will implement a new rule restricting access to gender affirming care for adults enrolled in the Texas Medicaid program.
Under the new rule, Medicaid will not cover the cost of “Hormone Therapy Agents” for anyone who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria within the past 730 days. This decision appears to have been implemented with no public hearing and no opportunity for public input, which is usually required. The outcome of this rule shows this was another deliberate attack on Trans Texans and their access to health care.
Most trans Texans will not be impacted by this rule change. Health care for trans adults in Texas remains legal. Persons impacted by the rule change can reach out to support@transtexas.org.
“This is not surprising,” said Emmett Schelling, executive director of Transgender Education Network of Texas. “We’ve been sounding the alarms for years. Haven’t you seen? The lives of trans Texans have been under constant attack and surveillance. Right now, we’re living through a time of prolifically accepted transphobia.
“This new rule from HHS is another method of hate and discrimination directed at the trans community. This is the canary in the coalmine for their end goal – a full ban on our access to health care and terminating our ability for us to exist in the public square.
“Cruelty is the point. Cruelty has always been the point. No matter what they do, the facts don’t change. We have always existed, all people deserve access to health care. That is simple humanity. People’s lives should never be “up for debate.” Trans Texans will continue to live in our truth in the place we call home. We’re organizing just as our trans and queer elders before us, and we’re not scared.”
– David Taffet