“Fostering joy and health”: Minnesota’s new gender-affirming care law

Host: Noah Parrish, Gender Justice Communications Director
Guests: Ash Tifa, Rainbow Health Legal Services Program Coordinator, and Annie Van Avery, Family Tree Clinic Executive Director

“No health plan that covers physical or mental health services may be offered, sold, issued, or renewed in this state that excludes coverage for medically necessary gender-affirming care.”

This is the simple language underlying one of the major accomplishments from Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session: the Gender-Affirming Care Act, Representative Leigh Finke’s 2024 bill codifying Minnesota’s existing mandates for insurance coverage of gender-affirming care. The policy was included in the omnibus Commerce policy bill that passed this session.

Our guests for this episode bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the discussion, describing the urgent need for codification, the process of drafting and passing this law, and the impact that the policy will have on the many people for whom gender-affirming care is an essential aspect of their healthcare.

References and additional resources:

• Rainbow Health
• Family Tree Clinic
• Quarterly Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic – Rainbow Health in partnership with Family Tree Clinic
• WPATH: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health
• Minnesota Departments of Human Rights, Human Services, Health, and Commerce: Joint Administrative Bulletin 2023-1 (pdf)
• ‘Trans refuge’ law draws some to Minnesota, and providers are struggling to meet the demand

About The Gender Justice Brief

The Gender Justice Brief is produced by Gunther Michael Jahnl of IQONEQ Communications Solutions and Audra Grigus.

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