Ohio backs off proposed restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults

2025-01-13 18:00:03 source:lotradecoin services category:Stocks

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration on Wednesday backed off its plans to impose rules that advocates feared would have restricted gender-affirming medical treatment for adults in a way no other state has.

The rules proposed by two state departments would have required the psychiatrists, endocrinologists and medial ethicists to have roles in creating gender-affirming care plans for clinics and hospitals. And patients under 21 would have been required to receive at least six months of counseling before starting hormone treatment or receiving gender-affirming surgery.

The Department of Health and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services both issued revised proposals Wednesday after gathering public comment. Both said in memos that they were swayed by what they had learned as transgender people and care providers weighed in. The Health Department said it received 3,900 comments. In the new versions, the rules would apply only to the care of minors, not adults.

Over the last few years, 21 states have adopted laws banning at least some aspects of gender-affirming care for minors. Some are so new they haven’t taken effect yet, and a ban in Arkansas was struck down in court. But so far, only Florida has restricted care for adults.

READ MORE Imprisoned mom wins early release but same relief blocked for some other domestic violence survivors Cyprus president makes government ministers sign a pledge not to tolerate sexual harassment Move to strip gender rights from Iowa’s civil rights law rejected by legislators

The departments said the rules will now advance to the next step of review before being implemented.

The draft rules would still require that patients under 18 receive at least six months of mental health counseling before they can receive gender-affirming medications or surgeries. The revisions made Wednesday also expand the list of mental health professionals qualified to provide the required counseling, adding clinical nurses, social workers, school psychologists and some physicians.

Further, a medical ethicist would no longer be required to have a role in developing facility-wide treatment plans for the care. In a memo, the Health Department said that change was made partly because institutions already use medical ethics professionals to develop policies.

Some parts of the rules regarding care for minors could have a muted effect. Last month, the Legislature banned gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies for minors by overriding DeWine’s December veto of that measure, which would allow children already receiving treatment to continue.

That law will take effect in April.

More:Stocks

Recommend

California judges say they’re underpaid, and their new lawsuit could cost taxpayers millions

California judges make a good living. They earn at least $240,000 and can count on a raise just abou

Bryce Underwood, top recruit in 2025 class, commits to LSU football

LSU football waved goodbye to the brilliance of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as he heads int

Marc-Andre Fleury ties Patrick Roy for No. 2 in all-time wins as Wild beat Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Marco Rossi scored 3:05 into overtime and the Minnesota Wild rallied from three one