Friday, Jul. 14, 2023
Did a Tony Evers veto allow Wisconsin children to choose gender reassignment surgery paid for by Medicaid?
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a part of the 2023-25 state budget that would have prohibited people from using Medicaid to pay for some transgender health services.
The veto allows Medicaid payment for gender reassignment surgery, and for puberty-blocking medicine used for the purposes of gender dysphoria or gender transition.
Medicaid is state-federal program that provides health services for low-income adults and others, such as people with disabilities.
Neither the budget provision, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, nor the Democratic governor’s veto addressed minors choosing gender reassignment surgery.
The Associated Press reported that nationally, such surgeries aren’t offered until a patient becomes a legal adult, though exceptions are made for minor teens who meet certain criteria.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Administration Gov. Tony Evers veto message
- Wisconsin State Legislature Department of Health Services Omnibus Motion
- AP News Toddlers can’t get gender-affirming surgeries, despite claims
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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