The Texas House passed a measure on Monday that opponents say could raise the price of gender-affirming health care for adults in Texas — or simply stop insurance providers from covering the care altogether.
Since the bill was previously approved by the Texas Senate, it now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
The legislation, Senate Bill 1257, requires any health benefit plan that provides coverage for any gender transition procedures and treatment to also provide coverage related to “adverse effects and reversals.” This includes follow-up procedures and treatment, as well as therapy related to an enrollee's gender transition procedure or treatment.
The bill defines gender transition as a medical process that alters an individual's anatomy or physiology for the purpose of assisting the individual's identification as a member of the opposite biological sex that does not correspond to their biological sex.
Those against the proposal rallied at the state Capitol in Austin on Friday. During the rally, Brad Pritchett, interim CEO of Equality Texas, called SB 1257 a “tax on trans existence.”
Many in opposition agree. Corrie Thompson of Austin testified against the measure earlier this legislative session.
“Requiring unknowable and limitless liability for any possible adverse impacts from trans health care will, practically speaking, prevent most insurers from covering the care,” said Thompson, adding the bill could also “drive excessive and inflated costs for plans that do insure trans health care.”
But speaking on the floor of the Texas House on Monday, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), defended his legislation.
“This is certainly a directive to our insurance companies, that if you provide gender transition coverage, you also have to provide detransition coverage,” he said.
Leach also told lawmakers who were against the measure that he authored the bill out of concern. He said he’s heard of Texans receiving gender transition treatment with insurance coverage, but later being denied coverage when they are dealing with adverse effects.
Leach added that his bill “is about giving insurance coverage to the people who need it.”
Among the lawmakers who disputed Leach’s claims was Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, who also serves as chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. Wu said the bill is a follow-up to Republicans’ work in the 2023 legislative session, when they passed legislation to ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Wu said lawmakers are now attempting to do the same thing for adults.
“Politically, if they just had a bill that says, ‘We're banning consenting adults from doing something,’ that would be bad politically,” said Wu. “This is the way to get around a ban on adults.”
“You tell the insurance companies, ‘Well, if you provide this care we will make sure you’re on the hook for this care to infinity,’” Wu added.
Rep. Steve Toth (R-Conroe) claimed the reason the issue is being treated this way by lawmakers is because many who undergo gender transition later regret the decision. However, a study published on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons showed the “prevalence of regret after GAS” was around 1%.
”There is higher rates of regret for just about any other type of surgery,” said Wu.
The bill, which passed its final vote 87-58 in the Texas House on Monday, now heads to Abbott’s desk for his signature.
