Iowa Supreme Court rules Medicaid must cover transgender care

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled late last week that the state Medicaid program has to cover sex reassignment surgery, upholding a June 2018 ruling by a lower court. The original case was brought by Carol Ann Beal and EerieAnna Good, both of whom identify as female and sought coverage for the surgery, which their medical providers said was medically necessary to treat their gender dysphoria. Their request was denied twice by the state Medicaid program before they sued in 2017. The state’s Supreme Court rejected the Iowa Department of Human Services policy that gender-affirming surgery is “cosmetic, reconstructive, or plastic surgery” that is “performed primarily for psychological purposes.”