Staff Reports
Xavier Becerra, the Health and Human Services secretary, said that the Biden administration would use taxpayer funds to cover certain types of medical procedures, such as gender change surgery, for minors.
In a written testimony submitted to the Committee on Education and Labor, which was obtained by the Daily Caller, Mr. Becerra stated that the administration supports policies that provide coverage for gender transition-related procedures.
According to the official, the Biden-Harris administration supports the release of the 8th version of the WPATH Standards of Care. He also stated that all individuals should be given the necessary care.
In response to a question from Rep. Mary Miller, who asked about the administration's stance on covering certain medically necessary procedures, such as sex-change operations and chemical castration, Mr. Becerra stated that both private and public entities should be able to provide coverage for these procedures.
Although he stated that the government supports coverage for certain medically necessary procedures, he did not provide a specific definition of what this means. The written testimony was submitted to the Committee after Miller questioned him during a hearing in April.
During the hearing, Miller asked if the government would pay for certain procedures, such as breast augmentation and laser hair removal, under Medicare and Medicaid. According to the official, the administration would continue to provide people with the necessary protections to ensure that they are receiving the services that they are entitled to.
In the past, Joe Biden referred to efforts by Republicans to restrict access to certain medically necessary procedures, such as gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers, as immoral. He has also not specified if he believes that minors should be allowed to access these procedures as adults.
In May, Biden signed an executive order that directed the Health and Human Services Department to take various steps to increase the availability of gender-affirming care, including for minors. Due to the executive order, several states have enacted legislation that restrict the access to these procedures for children.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
