(The Center Square) - A recent ruling from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is forcing states, including Colorado, to prohibit the use of federal Medicaid funds and certain children’s health insurance programs for “sex-rejecting” procedures on minors.
The ruling came on Aug. 13 from the department’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid services and requires state Medicaid plans “must provide that the Medicaid agency will not make payment under the plan for sex-rejecting procedures for children under 18.”
kAmp r@=@C25@ DE2E6 @77:4:2=[ >62?H9:=6[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E E96 DE2E6VD >@?6J 42?VE 36 FD65 E@ >2<6 FA 7@C E96 =@DD @7 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 F?=6DD E96 {68:D=2EFC6 24ED] %96 {68:D=2EFC6[ @C v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J[ 6?565 E9:D J62CVD D6DD:@? @? |2J `b]k^Am
k2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E E?4>D\:?=:?6\2=:8?>6?E\=67E E?4>D\:?=:?6\H:5E9\@?6\E9:C5Qmk^2D:56m
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 7656C2= CF=:?8 27764ED 4@G6C286 7@C 9@C>@?6 E96C2AJ[ :?4=F5:?8 AF36CEJ 3=@4<6CD 2?5 @E96C 7@C>D @7 86?56C\277:C>:?8 AC@465FC6D] xE H2D 492==6?865 (65?6D52J 3J 2 =2HDF:E 7:=65 3J r@=@C25@ 2?5 @E96C DE2E6D H:E9 s6>@4C2E:4 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2=] %96 DF:E :D 36:?8 4@\=65 3J r2=:7@C?:2[ x==:?@:D[ |2CJ=2?5[ r@??64E:4FE 2?5 |2DD249FD6EED] ~E96C A=2:?E:77D 2C6 E96 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= @7 s6=2H2C6[ E96 s:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2[ w2H2::[ |2:?6[ |:49:82?[ |:??6D@E2[ }6G252[ }6H y6CD6J[ }6H *@C<[ ~C68@?[ #9@56 xD=2?5[ '6C>@?E[ ':C8:?:2[ (2D9:?8E@?[ 2?5 (:D4@?D:?[ 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmr@=@C25@ H:== 368:? :>A=6>6?E:?8 E96 @C56C @? ~4E] `b[ E96 D2>6 52J E96 7656C2= CF=6 8@6D :?E@ 67764E] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 52E232D6 7C@> 2? @C82?:K2E:@? 42==65 s@ }@ w2C>[ H9:49 H2D DE2CE65 3J sC] $E2?=6J v@=572C3 :? a_aa[ E96 ?F>36C @7 >:?@CD H9@ C646:G65 86?56C @C D6I\C6=2E65 42C6 :? kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE@AE9692C>52E232D6]4@>^DE2E6^4@=@C25@^Qmr@=@C25@k^2mk^DEC@?8m H2D ?62C=J b__] xE 2=D@ D9@HD E92E e_ @7 E96> 92G6 366? :>A24E65 DA64:7:42==J 3J D6I\C6;64E:?8 DFC86C:6D] %96D6 ?F>36CD 2C6 7C@> a_`h E@ a_ab] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmsC] zFCE |:46=:[ E96 49:67 >65:42= @77:46C 7@C s@ }@ w2C>[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E E9:D ?F>36C H2D “=:<6=J 2? F?56C6DE:>2E6]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw6 4:E65 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE@C286]4@FCE=:DE6?6C]4@>^C642A^8@G]FD4@FCED]@C5]`h`bf`^8@G]FD4@FCED]@C5]`h`bf`]gb]b_]A57Qm4@FCE 5@4F>6?EDk^2mk^DEC@?8m 7C@> 62C=:6C E9:D J62C E92E D9@H r9:=5C6?’D w@DA:E2= r@=@C25@’D %#&t r6?E6C[ H9:49 AC@G:56D 962=E942C6 D6CG:46D E@ {vq%"Z 72>:=:6D[ AC6D4C:365 AF36CEJ 3=@4<6CD E@ >@C6 E92? ad_ >:?@CD 2?5 4C@DD\D6I 9@C>@?6D E@ ?62C=J dd_ >:?@CD :? a_ac 2?5 a_ad] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQms6?G6C w62=E9[ 2 >65:42= 46?E6C E92E 2=D@ A6C7@C>D D6I\C6;64E:?8 AC@465FC6D 2?5 DFC86C:6D[ C676CC65 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E@ :ED AC6DD DE2E6>6?E 62C=:6C E9:D J62C[ H9:49 D2:5 “s6?G6C w62=E9 92D >256 E96 5:77:4F=E 564:D:@? E@ DFDA6?5 86?56C 277:C>:?8 42C6 E@ J@FE9[ :?4=F5:?8 AF36CEJ 3=@4<:?8 AC6D4C:AE:@?D 2?5 9@C>@?6 E96C2AJj DFC86C:6D H6C6 DE@AA65 62C=J :? a_ad]” k^Am
kAmxE 2=D@ D2:5 E92E E96 r6?E6CD 7@C |65:42C6 2?5 |65:42:5 CF=:?8 “DF3DE2?E:2==J 27764E,D. 2446DD E@ 4C:E:42= 962=E9 D6CG:46D]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D $64C6E2CJ #@36CE u] z6??65J yC] DE2E65 E96 8@2= @7 E96 CF=6 :? 2 AC6DD C6=62D6 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ D2J:?8 “,E.96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E H:== ?@ =@?86C FD6 |65:42:5 2?5 rwx! 5@==2CD E@ 7F?5 AC@465FC6D E92E 72:= E@ >66E E96 6G:56?E:2CJ DE2?52C5 @FC 49:=5C6? 56D6CG6]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9:D 564:D:@? 4@>6D 2D A2CE @7 E96 %CF>A’D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D 3C@256C 677@CED E@ 6=:>:?2E6 >@DE 7@C>D @7 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6 7@C >:?@CD] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 r6?E6CD 7@C |65:42C6 2?5 |65:42:5 5:C64E@C[ sC] |69>6E ~K[ H2D 5:C64E65 3J !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E@ 6?24E E96D6 C6DEC:4E:@?D] %CF>A =2E6C HC@E6 :? 2 %CFE9 $@4:2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^ECFE9D@4:2=]4@>^oC62=s@?2=5%CF>A^A@DED^``f_fghefhfabafbgeQmkDEC@?8mA@DEk^DEC@?8mk^2m E92E “,H.6 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ A2J 7@C @FC :??@46?E 49:=5C6? E@ F?56C8@ E96D6 32C32C:4 DFC86C:6D 2?5 AC24E:46D[ H9:49 C6DF=E :? F?E9:?<23=6 2?5 :CC6G6CD:3=6 92C> E@ E96:C J@F?8 3@5:6D]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 46?E6CD 92G6 2C8F65 E96J 92G6 E96 2FE9@C:EJ E@ 56E6C>:?6 9@H |65:42:5 2?5 rwx! 5@==2CD 2C6 DA6?E F?56C %:E=6 )x) 2?5 %:E=6 ))x @7 E96 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ p4E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 r@=@C25@ s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 r2C6 !@=:4J 2?5 u:?2?4:?8] H9:49 25>:?:DE6CD 962=E942C6 7F?5:?8 :? E96 DE2E6[ D2:5 :E 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E96 3F586E ?@C DE2EFE@CJ 2FE9@C:EJ E@ 4@G6C E96D6 D6CG:46D H:E9@FE 7656C2= 7F?5:?8] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm|2C4 (:==:2>D[ E96 56A2CE>6?EVD AF3=:4 :?7@C>2E:@? @77:46C[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E “2?J 23:=:EJ E@ C6DF>6 4@G6C286 @7 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6 7@C 49:=5C6? 2?5 J@FE9 FD:?8 DE2E6\@?=J C6D@FC46D H@F=5 C6BF:C6 =68:D=2E:G6 24E:@? 2?5 255:E:@?2= 7F?5:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 C624965 @FE E@ >6>36CD @7 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 E@ D66 :7 2?J H6C6 A=2??:?8 2 3:== E@ 2==@42E6 DE2E6 7F?5D 7@C E96D6 AC@465FC6D[ 3FE E96J 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5] %96 DE2E6 4FCC6?E=J C6>2:?D :? 566A 4@?EC@G6CDJ @G6C 3F586ED D6E 3J E96 s6>@4C2E:4\>2;@C:EJ {68:D=2EFC6 2D :E 7246D 2 S`]d 3:==:@? 5@==2C 567:4:E 7@C E96 a_ae\a_af 7:D42= J62C] k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 2 7656C2= ;F586 G242E:?8 2 D:>:=2C CF=6 3C@F89E 3J E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D 62C=:6C E9:D J62C[ E96 r6?E6CD 7@C |65:42:5 2?5 |65:42C6 D2:5 E9:D ?6H CF=6 4@>A=:6D H:E9 E96 p5>:?:DEC2E:G6 !C@465FC6 p4E[ H9:49 2 7656C2= ;F586 2C8F65 E96 56A2CE>6?E AC6G:@FD=J G:@=2E65] k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H CF=6 :D D6A2C2E6 7C@> E96 ?@H\G@:5 z6??65J s64=2C2E:@? 2?5 5@6D ?@E C68F=2E6 E96 ?2E:@?H:56 DE2?52C5 7@C AC:G2E6 >65:42= AC24E:46] ~C68@?\32D65 &]$] s:DEC:4E yF586 |FDE272 z2DF392: =2DE DAC:?8 DECF4< 5@H? E96 962=E9 2?5 9F>2? D6CG:46D D64C6E2CJVD 564=2C2E:@? E92E 86?56C\277:C>:?8 >65:42= 42C6 7@C >:?@CD :D F?D276]k^Am