A federal appeals court has ruled that state health plans must cover gender-affirming surgery for transgender beneficiaries, The Washington Post reported April 30.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled health plans for state employees cannot refuse to cover gender-affirming surgery. The cases were brought by West Virginia and North Carolina state officials.
The states argued their coverage policies were not intended to be discriminatory and were based only on cost concerns, The Washington Post reported. The court ruled the policies were "obviously discriminatory" on the basis of both sex and gender.
The court also ruled that West Virginia policy violates the ACA's anti-discrimination provision, The Washington Post reported, which could have implications for other states' Medicaid programs. Multiple other states have laws barring state funding for gender affirming treatment, according to The Washington Post.
The states plan to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, The Washington Post reported.
Read more here.