Commonwealth Policy Center

Last week a federal judge ruled that Medicaid must cover gender-reassignment treatments, including both surgery and hormones. U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled on behalf of four patients suffering from gender dysphoria and ordered the state of Wisconsin to cover sex reassignment procedures for each of the patients. Prior to the ruling, the Department of Health Services excluded such treatments from Medicaid. Not any longer. Under the ruling, an estimated 5000 people will be eligible for transgender hormonal therapy and surgery on the taxpayer’s dime. But this also means that medical professionals will be obligated to participate in a patient’s gender transition. There’s no science that shows gender transition actually helps people become healthier. This is problematic for medical professionals who could be forced to choose between good medicine and the personal desires of their patients.