Georgia has resolved a legal dispute by agreeing to include coverage for gender-affirming care in the health plans of its employees and their families.
The lawsuit, initiated by two state employees and a public school employee who identify as male and sought chest surgery, has been withdrawn following the settlement with Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan.
This insurance plan, serving over 660,000 state government workers, public school employees, and retirees, will now provide transgender medical services for employees, spouses, and dependents.
The lawsuit, initially filed in December, alleged unlawful discrimination by Georgia’s health insurance plan against transgender individuals.
It argued that the exclusion not only harmed their health and financial well-being but also perpetuated the stigma associated with being transgender and undergoing a gender transition. This exclusion was seen as promoting inequality by the state government.
Georgia Settles Lawsuit On Transgender Medical Services For Public Employees https://t.co/ABsnnKQwlk pic.twitter.com/XBnGzTgJlL— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) October 20, 2023
“The exclusion not only harms the health and finances of transgender people seeking gender dysphoria treatment, it also reinforces the stigma attached to being transgender, suffering from gender dysphoria, and seeking a gender transition,” the lawsuit stated.
This settlement has implications beyond Georgia, as the state will now cover transgender medical services for out-of-state children, even though they are prohibited within Georgia due to a bill signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in March.
In addition to the coverage, the state has agreed to pay $365,000 to the plaintiffs and their legal representatives. They argued that personal expenses incurred for these services should have been covered by the insurance plan.
The lawsuit contended that excluding gender-affirming care violated Title VII rights, as established by the Supreme Court’s Bostock v Clayton County ruling in 2020, which extended protection against workplace discrimination based on gender to transgender individuals.
“The Bostock decision declared that Title VII, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex, also protects trans people because such discrimination is still based on “traits or actions [the employer] would not have questioned in members of a different sex,” outlet “Them” reported.
This lawsuit is part of a series of legal actions aimed at compelling Georgia’s state agencies to cover transgender medical services, a debate that involves serious health risks such as potential infertility, blood clots, heart issues, cancer risks, liver dysfunction, psychological well-being, and other significant health concerns.
