I Don't Know If This Is Good News Or Not

On Friday on Facebook there was a post that was starting to go viral about an Advocate article on how Medicare and Medicaid wants input on providing coverage for Gender Confirming Surgery. The article had a link but by the time I clicked on it the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services had taken it down…

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs the federal government's national insurance program, is reconsidering whether or not it should cover gender reassignment surgery (often called sex reassignment surgery) for transgender people who have Medicare. It has offered the public 30 days to offer opinions on the matter. Since around 48 million people are covered by Medicare, if the agency decides to allow coverage, the change would have a significant impact on transgender people in the U.S.

This official reconsideration of coverage began yesterday and goes for 29 more days in which the public can comment.

Then the internet was abuzz with speculation on what happened. But then an article in “The Hill” started appearing in post say they closed the comments and are going to consider it internally.

The Health and Human Services Department said early Friday that it would accept public comments on whether to reexamine its decision not to cover sex changes.

But a spokesperson said Friday evening that the proposal has been withdrawn. HHS pulled information from its website Friday after various news media outlets reported on the issue.

The controversial decision to consider using taxpayer money to cover sex changes was sure to attract criticism from Congress. 

And that is what I am now worried about. The news media caught wind of it and it is going to be all over Fox News and other far-right conservative media outlets and also the Republicans are going to try to pass a law banning coverage. I fear Paul Ryan or another Republican will insert a provision in some bill that will have to pass to prevent Medicare and Medcaid from funding the surgery, just like they did with ADA.