Lawsuit Challenges Florida Medicaid Rule on Transgender Care (1)

A new Florida health-care rule denying gender-confirming treatments for transgender Medicaid recipients unlawfully denies access to medically necessary care, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in US District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

If the rule that took effect Aug. 21 remains in effect, it will have “immediate dire physical, emotional, and psychological consequences for transgender Medicaid beneficiaries,” the lawsuit said.

The rule states that Florida Medicaid doesn’t cover puberty blockers, hormones, gender-confirmation surgery, and “any other procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics” for patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of ...