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Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 25, 2015.

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) applauds the state of Connecticut for making transition-related health care available through its Medicaid program. Connecticut becomes the 7^th jurisdiction to expand Medicaid coverage for transgender health care.

Yesterday, Connecticut’s Legislative Regulation Review Committee approved a regulation that repeals the ban on coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria, the diagnostic term used to refer to discomfort or distress caused by a difference between a person’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. This regulation will go into effect once it is posted to the Connecticut Secretary of State’s website, likely within the next 30 days.

Statement from TLDEF Executive Director Michael Silverman:

“This is great news for transgender people in Connecticut and we commend the State for ending its discriminatory Medicaid exclusion. Low-income transgender people who rely on Medicaid for their health care will now finally have access to the medically necessary treatment they need. Transgender people deserve the same coverage for medically necessary care as everyone else.

“Connecticut joins California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington D.C., which have all expanded Medicaid coverage for transgender people. These jurisdictions are leading the way towards a fairer health care system.  We urge all states that exclude transgender health care from Medicaid coverage to drop these discriminatory policies. Transgender people suffer without access to the critical care they need. It is time for action now.”

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