Trans Health Equity Act goes into effect as advocates highlight 2024 priorities

MARYLAND- It’s a big week for transgender Marylanders who are seeking gender-affirming care.

The state’s trans equity act went into effect on the first, ensuring that gender-affirming care will no longer be categorically denied under the state-run Medicaid claims system.

Advocates say the legislation is also symbolic, making it clear that the treatment is in the best interest of patients, and that the law no longer puts the claims system in conflict with doctors who are looking to prescribe the best course of care.

Lee Blinder of TransMaryland says gender-affirming care can look different from patient to patient, and that discretion on how to move forward now lies solely with the healthcare professional.

“There’s not one way to transition, so we’re excited about that, types of care that would not be able to be excluded or denied, now are things like body contouring, facial surgery, voice therapy, and or voice surgery, things like hair removal,” Blinder said.

Blinder adds that they hope to work in the future to decrease cost and increase access to treatment across the state including on the Eastern Shore.

Those goals are just one of a series of 2024 legislative agenda items composed by the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, chaired by Blinder.

Priorities include access to gender-affirming care in the state penal system, the ability to change the gender on birth certificates to match people’s chosen gender expression as well as access and establishing an LBGTQIA+ State fund.

“It’s bringing things out for certain to self-select for their gender, and it’s bringing things in alignment with the ID bill of 2019, which allowed Maryland IDs, driver’s licenses and permits to have gender be self-select and then added gender marker,” Blinder said.