Today, the Pritzker administration announced that the state’s Medicaid program will begin covering gender affirming surgeries for members under new policies being established. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has begun developing administrative rules to offer this coverage and anticipates it will become available to Medicaid members upon adoption of the administrative rule, likely to be this summer.
The below statement can be attributed to John Knight, LGBTQ & HIV Advocacy Director, ACLU of Illinois:
“We welcome Governor Pritzker’s announcement that Illinois will cover gender affirming surgery under its Medicaid program. This is a crucial step to respond to the health care needs of all Illinois residents, including those who are transgender.
By putting an end to this outdated exclusion on gender affirming surgery, Illinois now joins a long and growing list of states providing coverage for this critical, life-saving health care. We applaud the Governor for making this important step forward.”
