BALTIMORE — The LGBTQ+ community is celebrating a huge milestone as law makers officially approved the Trans Health Equity Act, allowing transgender patients to more easily obtain gender-affirming care.
The Trans Health Equity Act will expand gender-affirming care through Medicaid so more patients can get the proper treatment.
The legislation aims to establish equity by ensuring low-income Marylanders seeking gender-affirming care will receive the same treatment as people with private insurance.
Advocates with Baltimore Safe Haven say this allows people in the LGBTQIA+ community to have better access to resources and gain valuable support from medical professionals.
Advocates say this bill will truly make a difference in the LGBTQ+ community.
"I am so happy this passed. There's been such a need for this bill. We tried so many times and we finally got it through. It just doesn't make sense why it wasn't there to begin with, but its a win," said Renee Lou, a Baltimore Safe Haven advocate.
While the bill has passed out of both chambers, it had started with a version in both the Senate and the House. Both chambers passed their bill, and now the bills have to go through the opposite chambers before making their way to the Governor's desk.
Read more about the bill here.