(WAND) - For families in central Illinois with transgender children, access to gender-affirming care is at risk.
Providers who offer this care could lose Medicaid reimbursement, which will make it harder to access and afford treatment.
"In this case, we know that for many people with gender dysphoria, gender-affirming care is lifesaving care," said Edwin Yohnka, the director of communications and public policy for the ACLU of Illinois.
A White House executive order seeks to ban doctors and hospitals from providing medical care to transgender people under the age of 18. The ACLU of Illinois said this could have life-threatening effects.
"The important reality is that they need that care in order to survive. This is really about people and their ability to access healthcare," Yohnka said.
Doctors and hospitals could lose the ability to bill Medicare and Medicaid for any service if they offer gender-affirming care. Yohnka emphasized the policy could also mean fewer providers for low-income and older patients.
"The import of this is not whether or not you support gender-affirming care, not whether or not you would use it, but should the government be able to use a particular care as a political tool to try to force everyone in the country to abide by their views, or face the consequence of destroying a healthcare system for people writ large across the country and across our state," Yohnka said.
Gender affirming care includes treatments such as hormone therapy, surgical procedures, counseling and mental health services.
"People with means will probably seek that care out of the country or, from other private practitioners, and pay for it themselves. But people of lesser means will suffer, and ofttimes suffer both physically and mentally and emotionally from not being able to access the care," Yohnka said.
Top Stories:
Springfield business broken into, cash register stolen
Illinois set to bar credit card fees on tax, tip portion of bills in July
IDOT set to remove unused CWLP bridge over Interstate 55
NAACP hosts Democratic forum ahead of March primary election
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
