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Legislative bills

Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" Puts Healthcare for Transgender People at Risk

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The bill, pushed by President Donald Trump, aims to ban gender-affirming care for transgender people on Medicaid and the healthcare exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. The legislation would also prohibit "gender transition procedures" as an "essential health benefit" under the 2010 health care law. The bill passed the House of Representatives early Thursday morning, with a vote of 215 to 214, despite opposition from Democrats and some Republicans.

Key Takeaways:

  • The legislation would ban gender-affirming care for transgender people on Medicaid and the healthcare exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.
  • The bill would prohibit "gender transition procedures" as an "essential health benefit" under the 2010 health care law.
  • The legislation would significantly increase spending for immigration enforcement along the US-Mexico border, energy drilling, and the US military.
  • The bill would extend most of the 2017 tax cuts signed by President Trump during his first tenure.
  • 276,000 transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid, with 38,000 living in states with express bans on gender-affirming care.
  • President Trump's 2024 campaign claimed that Kamala Harris supports taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners.
  • The bill's passage is a step towards becoming law, but it has a long way to go before being signed by President Trump.

Statistics:

  • 276,000: number of transgender adults enrolled in Medicaid (Source: Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law)
  • 38,000: number of transgender recipients of Medicaid living in states with express bans on gender-affirming care (Source: Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law)
  • 215: number of votes in favor of the bill in the House of Representatives
  • 214: number of votes against the bill in the House of Representatives
  • 66%, 56%, and 66%: percentages of US adults supporting restrictive policies on transgender people, including banning gender-affirming care for people under 18 (Source: Pew Research Center)

Sources:

  • Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law: "Serving Our Youngest Citizens: A Report on the Highest Priority Needs of LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care" (2022)
  • Pew Research Center: "Public views on transgender people and issues related to their inclusion" (February 2023)
  • Article citations from The Independent: [No provided cite]
  • Article citations from Getty Images, AP, and Getty Images: [No provided cite]

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