Oppose H.R. 498 and H.R. 3492 to Protect Gender-Affirming Care Access

I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act, and H.R. 3492, the Protect Children's Innocence Act, both scheduled for House floor votes. These bills would eliminate access to medically necessary, life-saving care for transgender Americans. H.R. 498, introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, would ban Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for transgender youth. H.R. 3492, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, goes even further by banning all gender-affirming care nationwide and making it a felony offense for healthcare providers to offer this treatment. These proposals represent a dangerous government intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship and would deny evidence-based medical care to vulnerable people. Since 2016, both Medicaid and Affordable Care Act insurers have been prohibited from categorically excluding gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy from coverage. These protections exist because research clearly shows that gender-affirming care saves lives. Reversing these protections through targeted legislation or budget appropriations would harm thousands of Americans who depend on this care. Throughout this congressional term, Republicans have repeatedly attempted to block federal funding and access to gender-affirming care. While harmful language was removed from H.R. 1 before passage, the continued push to insert anti-trans provisions into various legislative vehicles, including the House appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, demonstrates a persistent effort to strip healthcare rights from transgender individuals. Congress should be working to increase healthcare access and reduce costs for all Americans, not attacking vulnerable populations and blocking them from receiving medically necessary treatment. I urge you to vote against both H.R. 498 and H.R. 3492 and to oppose any future attempts to restrict gender-affirming care through legislation or appropriations riders.