1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support federal employees' access to gender-affirming care coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits plans. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recently sent a letter to insurance carriers stating that as of 2026, coverage for gender transition services would be eliminated, with only a narrow exception for people mid-treatment. This policy change affects thousands of federal workers and their dependents who rely on this medically necessary care. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, along with law firms Correia & Puth and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday asserting that this denial violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint seeks class action status for all affected federal workers and their families. Gender-affirming care is not elective or cosmetic. It is evidence-based medical treatment recognized by every major medical association in the United States. Denying coverage for this care while covering other medically necessary treatments constitutes discrimination based on sex and gender identity. As HRC Foundation President Kelley Robinson stated, this policy weaponizes medical care to push transgender public servants and their families out of their jobs and back into the closet. Federal employees deserve the same comprehensive health coverage as their colleagues, regardless of their gender identity. This policy creates a two-tiered system that singles out one group of workers for inferior benefits. It also sends a message that the government does not value the service and contributions of its transgender employees. I ask you to publicly oppose this discriminatory policy change and to support legislation that would protect federal employees' access to comprehensive health coverage, including gender-affirming care. Federal workers should not have to choose between their health and their careers.