At a Glance
- Federal employees file a complaint against a new OPM policy that removes gender-affirming care coverage.
- The Human Rights Campaign says the ban is sex-based discrimination and seeks to rescind the policy.
- The complaint cites examples from postal workers, state department staff, and health officials.
- Why it matters: The ruling could restore coverage for transgender employees and challenge federal health-insurance restrictions.
A new federal policy that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care has prompted a lawsuit from a group of government workers, who argue the move amounts to sex-based discrimination. The complaint, filed by the Human Rights Campaign, seeks to have the Office of Personnel Management rescind the policy. The case highlights the broader debate over transgender health rights in federal programs.
Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson said:
> “This policy is not about cost or care – it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce.”
Complaint Highlights Discrimination Claims
The Human Rights Campaign, acting on behalf of federal employees, filed the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday. It cites the August OPM announcement that would no longer cover “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions” in federal employee and U.S. Postal Service health plans. The complaint argues that denying coverage is sex-based discrimination and requests the personnel office to rescind the policy.
- Four federal workers from the State Department, Health and Human Services, and the Postal Service will testify.
- The postal worker’s daughter needs puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which would not be covered.
- The workers claim the policy targets transgender people and their families.
Broader Context of Transgender Care Restrictions
The Trump administration has taken additional steps to limit gender-affirming care, especially for minors. In December, the Department of Health and Human Services issued proposals that would block such care for children and could deny Medicare and Medicaid funds to hospitals providing it. Senior officials, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have labeled the care as “malpractice” for minors, a stance that clashes with recommendations from the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Key Takeaways
- The lawsuit challenges a federal ban that could remove coverage for gender-affirming care.
- It includes testimony from workers whose families would be directly affected.
- The case is part of a broader fight over transgender health rights in government programs.
The lawsuit could set a precedent for federal coverage of transgender health services and may prompt further legal challenges to the administration’s broader restrictions.
