News and Events => Political and Legal News => Topic started by: Jessica_Rose on July 16, 2026, 11:36:00 AM Return to Full Version
Title: Trump admin files brief supporting insurance company who won’t cover trans teens
Post by: Jessica_Rose on July 16, 2026, 11:36:00 AM
Post by: Jessica_Rose on July 16, 2026, 11:36:00 AM
Trump admin files brief supporting insurance company who won't cover trans teens' care
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/admin-files-brief-supporting-insurance-company-who-wont-cover-trans-teens-care/
Molly Sprayregen (16 July 2026)
The Trump administration filed an amicus brief on Monday in support of an insurance company seeking to deny coverage for gender-affirming surgery for minors.
A U.S. District Court ruled against Premera Blue Cross last year after two minors sued the company for denying them top surgery coverage. Judge Thomas Zilly ruled that Premera discriminated against the minors since it covered breast reduction surgeries and mastectomies for cisgender youth but not transgender youth. Zilly said the company violated the Affordable Care Act by "facially discriminating on the basis of sex."
Premera appealed and has since gained the support of the Department of Justice. The brief, filed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, among other DOJ officials, claims the insurance company's "sensible" policy does not constitute sex discrimination and is instead "rooted in biological reality, developmental psychology, and medical diagnosis."
The brief says that Premera's policy is not discriminatory because it does not deny coverage for all breast surgeries for those assigned female at birth, while still allowing treatment to boys with gynecomastia or other conditions necessitating breast surgery. Instead, the administration argues, "it denies coverage for a specific intervention stemming from a specific condition" and that the company's policies "equally refuse coverage to both boys and girls who seek any surgical interventions in pursuit of an attempt to 'transition' to a different gender."
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/admin-files-brief-supporting-insurance-company-who-wont-cover-trans-teens-care/
Molly Sprayregen (16 July 2026)
The Trump administration filed an amicus brief on Monday in support of an insurance company seeking to deny coverage for gender-affirming surgery for minors.
A U.S. District Court ruled against Premera Blue Cross last year after two minors sued the company for denying them top surgery coverage. Judge Thomas Zilly ruled that Premera discriminated against the minors since it covered breast reduction surgeries and mastectomies for cisgender youth but not transgender youth. Zilly said the company violated the Affordable Care Act by "facially discriminating on the basis of sex."
Premera appealed and has since gained the support of the Department of Justice. The brief, filed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, among other DOJ officials, claims the insurance company's "sensible" policy does not constitute sex discrimination and is instead "rooted in biological reality, developmental psychology, and medical diagnosis."
The brief says that Premera's policy is not discriminatory because it does not deny coverage for all breast surgeries for those assigned female at birth, while still allowing treatment to boys with gynecomastia or other conditions necessitating breast surgery. Instead, the administration argues, "it denies coverage for a specific intervention stemming from a specific condition" and that the company's policies "equally refuse coverage to both boys and girls who seek any surgical interventions in pursuit of an attempt to 'transition' to a different gender."