Oregon House Passes Mandatory Coverage For All Trans Healthcare And Abortion Protections

Oregon's HB2002 is one of the strongest trans-protective laws moving anywhere in the United States. Last night, Oregon's House passed it.

Yesterday, Oregon’s House of Representatives passed one of the most significant expansions of transgender and abortion rights of any state. The bill, House Bill 2002, would mandate that all transgender procedures that are part o the modern standards of care would be covered by any health insurance plans offered in the state. It would also expand abortion access on college campuses and ensure that students have access to medication abortion. House Bill 2002 also establishes legal protections for the privacy of caregivers who provide these treatments, preventing them from being targeted by an increasingly dangerous far right. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 2002 is part of a small series of bills that been enacted over the past two years that serve to broaden the scope of covered procedures for transgender individuals. The legislation includes treatments like hair removal, voice therapy, and facial feminization or masculinization surgery which are deemed medically essential and have huge life-improving effects for trans people. This expansion is particularly significant since most health insurance coverage, if it addresses transgender care at all, is typically limited to hormones and gender reassignment surgery.

Unfortunately, insurance plans in many states have fallen behind the times, covering only procedures recommended under outdated standards of care. In contrast, modern standards of care assert that health insurance should encompass a variety of treatment options proven to benefit transgender people. House Bill 2002 reflects a necessary step forward in bridging this gap.

See this statement from WPATH’s Standards Of Care 8:

Gender-affirming interventions may also include hair removal/transplant procedures, voice therapy/surgery, counseling, and other medical procedures required to effectively affirm an individual’s gender identity and reduce gender incongruence and dysphoria.

Here is a list of expanded procedures the bill itself mandates:

Expanded procedures to be covered in Oregon if HB2002 passes

A handful of other states have passed similar expansions, though Oregon is the first this year to mandate private health insurance coverage should it pass. In 2021, Washington passed similar protections that mandate expanded coverage for gender affirming care treatments. Colorado likewise passed a similar law. In 2022, Hawaii passed legislation covering these procedures, though the negotiations were tense and there were fears that the bill could be spiked in the final days of debate. This year, Maryland passed the Trans Health Equity Act, which only applies to state-run insurance programs like Medicaid. Should Oregon’s bill pass, it will be a significant step forward in continuing to protect the rights of transgender people in a year where these rights are under heavy fire.

The bill does not stop at transgender care, however. It also expands abortion protections and patient and provider confidentiality. One section of the bill states that college campus student health centers must provide students with access to emergency contraception and abortion. It also expands the right to access abortions for minors and removes any parental consent requirements around obtaining an abortion. Abortion issues and trans issues are increasingly paired together in protective bills around the United States - the trans refuge/shield laws, for instance, tend to include abortion, reproductive healthcare, and gender affirming care protections all under the same protective bills.

Gender affirming care is lifesaving. Recent studies show a 73% reduction in suicide rates for people who can obtain medical transition. Another study shows a 40% reduction in 1-year suicide attempts. The Center for the Study of Inequality at Cornell University compiled 51 such studies showing the medical and psychological benefits of transitioning for trans people. Expanded standards of care give doctors a larger set of tools to treat gender dysphoria and increase the safety for transgender people who seek to “pass” as their gender. This last part is important for trans people visiting red states and encountering increasingly hostile political environments where they may be targeted.

The bill passed 36-23 along party lines. It will now go to the Senate, where it will skip over committee hearings due to it having already been heard in a joint committee with both House and Senate members. Transgender advocates in the state believe that with enough pressure, it could pass into law quickly. Should it do so, Oregon will cement itself as one of the most protective states for transgender residents.