In Minnesota, the administration of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz last year removed age restrictions for most sex-reassignment surgeries from the state's health care policy, paving the way for state-funded genital surgery on minors.

Waltz is currently being considered as a potential running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Instructed The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) decided in an executive order in March 2023 to ensure that state health care program reimbursement “covers current, medically necessary gender reassignment treatment.” Later that month, the 14-member Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC), appointed by the DHS Secretary, began a five-year process to address the issue of policy reform. meeting It began in March, according to meeting minutes and other public records.

The HSAC ultimately voted not to add an age standard for mastectomy and recommended that the WPATH criteria be followed for a range of other surgeries. Updated Press policy By September 2023, it plans to “eliminate most age restrictions” for phalloplasty, except for the requirement that men be 18 or older.

HSAC members are paid $200 per meeting. According to Go to the DHS website.

PreviousMinnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) Policy Required According to the agenda for the April 2023 meeting, members must be 18 or older to receive insurance coverage for genital procedures.

Age was also removed from the WPATH Standards of Care version 8 (SoC 8) guidelines released in September 2022, which HSAC considered when making its recommendations. limit WPATH's updated guidelines for procedures such as sex-changing hormones and surgery have allowed themselves to be influenced by litigation and pressure to advance policy goals, including pressure from the Biden administration, court documents unsealed in June revealed. (RELATED: Tim Waltz's Church Doesn't Like Calling God “He,” Supports Reparations and Pride Parades)

According to court documents, Deputy Secretary of Health Rachel Levine pressured WPATH to remove the minimum age recommendation.

Here in Minnesota, we stand with transgender youth against hateful laws and harmful rhetoric, and our work continues to ensure that all Minnesotans, especially our transgender neighbors, feel safe, valued and respected.

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 16, 2023

The HSAC heard presentations from several transgender activists before making its decision. include WPATH SOC-8 Co-Chair Eli Coleman and Medical Director of the Minnesota Children’s Gender Health Program director Dr. Angela Cade Gephardt.

In a document prepared by SOC-8 leadership defending its recommendations, Coleman said: Identified Court documents in a lawsuit challenging Alabama's ban on sex-reassignment surgery for children cite “inherent skepticism by academics and scientists” and “ongoing pressure within the medical community to provide evidence-based care” as the causes of the “attack” on transgender medicine.

Through its gender health program, Geffeld's clinic offers “individual meetings” with children ages 10 and up to discuss gender identity and “possible treatment options.” According to Visit the clinic's website. (Related article: Minnesota Children's Hospital offers 11-year-olds private discussions about gender identity)

Geffelt testified He supports Minnesota's “trans refugee” bill, which passed last year. In 2020, Gephardt spoke at TEDx. talk In 2020, she published a book titled “The Revolutionary Truth About Children and Gender Identity.”

Since MHCP began covering gender reassignment surgeries in 2017, the state has reimbursed a total of 1,609 procedures on patients of unspecified ages, including 632 mastectomies and 559 genital surgeries. According to Until presentation in March 2023.

Walz's whole-of-government initiative

While HSAC was considering the insurance policy changes, Walz signed Congress' “trans refugee” bill into law. invoiceThe law, which protects children traveling to Minnesota for sex-reassignment surgery from other state laws, also gives state courts “temporary emergency jurisdiction” when a child “is unable to obtain gender-affirming medical care.”

Walz has sought to make Minnesota an example as other states restrict access to sex-reassignment surgery for minors.

“In Minnesota, we value members of the LGBTQIA+ community and protect their rights,” he wrote in an executive letter in March. order“We are committed to protecting access to gender-affirming health care services.”

In November 2023 Note The Minnesota Department of Health warned insurers and medical centers that it would “take all appropriate steps to the fullest extent of its powers, authorities and duties to protect Minnesotans' access to gender-affirming health care services.” (Related article: Harris “liked” Walz's record, despite his “miserable failure” on 2020 riots, strict COVID-19 measures, etc.)

“Importantly, when MDHR receives allegations of discrimination or has reason to believe that discrimination has occurred on the basis of sex or gender identity, it will investigate the allegations, file complaints and/or civil lawsuits, and/or seek injunctive relief,” the memo states.

The Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and the Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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