A new policy banning the use of Medicaid to pay for gender-affirming care in Florida goes into effect Sunday.
Patients won’t be able to pay for hormone therapy, puberty blockers or gender-affirming surgery using Medicaid starting the 21st.
University of Florida’s Dr. Mike Haller works with transgender and gender non-conforming patients.
He says he’s worried about how patients will pay for their treatment, especially those who are already mid-transition.
"Our patient population is under an incredible amount of additional and unnecessary stress. They're already a marginalized community and they're feeling additionally attacked right now."
Haller says that's one of the many reasons their phones have been ringing off the hook.
“We have numerous patients calling and, you know, contacting us through our patient portal. Trying to understand the situation, are they allowed to come to clinic? Can they still get their medications if they have an authorization already in place? What happens if they come to clinic after the 21st?”
Nine other states in the US prohibit using Medicaid dollars to pay for gender-affirming care.
