The state governor has also signed bills to protect minors from unnecessary and harmful gender surgeries and treatment.
Idaho Governor Brad Little signed a bill Wednesday that prevents individuals enrolled in the state Medicaid program from being covered for transgender-related treatments.
House Bill 668 prohibits Idaho’s Medicaid program from reimbursing or offering coverage for gender transition procedures, applicable to both minors and adults. Such procedures include both surgical and medical interventions. The prohibition applies to other public funds as well. The bill was passed with 58–11 votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate by 26–8. On March 27, Mr. Little signed the bill into law, which will come into effect on July 1.
The bill is applicable to gender transition procedures used for altering an individual’s appearance in order to affirm the perception of their sex, which is “inconsistent with the individual’s biological sex.”
Medicare and public health funds can be used for gender transition under three conditions—(a) where such procedures are “necessary to the health of the person,” (b) when the purpose is to treat any infection, injury, disease, or disorder caused or worsened due to previous gender transition procedures, (c) if the procedure is performed on a person born with a “medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development.”
During a debate on the Senate floor, state Sen. Ben Toews told lawmakers the bill will ensure that taxpayer dollars “are not used to pay for medically harmful treatments,” Idaho Capital Sun reported.
“Responding to the brokenness of the world requires humility, compassion, and wisdom. We don’t have enough of these things by ourselves. And it is only by the power of our Creator, that healing is truly enabled. The answer to our affliction will not be contrived because wholeness is given, not manufactured.”
State Sen. Melissa Wintrow accused House Bill 668 of being discriminatory, insisting that it is part of a series of bills “that clearly violates the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause.”
The bill prohibits any state property, facility, or building from being used to offer the banned gender transition procedures. Physicians and other health care professionals employed by state, county, or local governments are also not allowed to offer such procedures to individuals.
“Any intentional violation of the provisions of this chapter by a public officer or public employee shall be considered a misuse of public moneys,” the bill states, warning that such people will be punished.
