COLORADO, USA — Changes are coming to Colorado's Medicaid program to help streamline the process for people seeking gender-affirming care.
Skylar Patron, Health Equity Manager at One Colorado, said they've been working with the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to update Health First Colorado's gender-affirming care policy.
"It feels incredible to represent my community throughout the process to make sure trans people are representing trans people," they said. "Our partners that are working in gender-affirming care let us know that the vast majority of their patients are on Medicaid right now, and so this has huge impacts for our community and reducing so many barriers to accessing care."
The changes have streamlined the process to seek access to care.
"Like for example having to receive mental health counseling before you could access hormones and having to take hormones before you could access surgery," Patron said. "So a lot of steps where insurance was telling our trans community what we needed to do for our own gender journey, and now that all of those barriers, or the majority of them, are gone, that's a really huge win for our community."
After Children's Hospital Colorado announced they are no longer providing gender-affirming surgeries, Patron hopes the policy changes will open doors for others.
"Hopefully that does mean that there will be more space for care to actually happen," they said.
Patron said the One Colorado health equity team is hearing from the community to navigate where to put their efforts next. They said other insurance policies are looking at Colorado Medicaid as an example.
"This is a huge win, something we’re really excited about, and we know it’s not the end," they said. "I’m so excited for the relief that it will bring to people."
The changes will go into effect at the end of August.
Colorado Medicaid is income-based and there's no open enrollment period, so people can enroll at any time throughout the year.
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