A state legislator this week shelved her bill calling for California health officials to create a website with health care resources for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex (TGI) people and their families. The reason being the state went ahead and launched the online resource without waiting for the legislative mandate to be approved.
The site was created by the California Department of Managed Care. It has a wealth of information from frequently asked questions about what entails trans-inclusive and gender-affirming health care to what rights are granted to health plan enrollees in commercial and Medi-Cal managed care health plans regulated by the state agency.
There are links to various state and federal resources TGI people can access. The website also includes information for how TGI patients can seek help if their health care needs are denied.
Under legislation enacted in 2022, the state agency had convened a Transgender, Gender Diverse, or Intersex (TGI) Health Care Quality Standards and Training Curriculum Working Group tasked with making recommendations to it as required under Senate Bill 923, the TGI Inclusive Care Act. Authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), it required that medical professionals who interact with TGI patients receive cultural competency training.
It also called for health providers to have searchable online directories of their gender-affirming services. This year, lesbian state Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) had authored SB 959 calling for the creation of a trans health care website in order to provide TGI patients with accurate information about accessing trans-inclusive health care.
Her bill had been sailing through the legislative process and passed out of the Senate in May. It was expected to be passed by the Assembly ahead of lawmakers' August 31 deadline to adopt bills this session.
But Menjivar pulled her bill Tuesday due to the debut of the state agency's website for TGI patients.
"I moved SB 959 to the inactive file for one of the best reasons a bill author does so, state implementation!" Menjivar explained in a news release sent out Wednesday.
She thanked both the state agency and Governor Gavin Newsom for not waiting until SB 959 made it out of the Legislature to launch the online resource. Menjivar noted it had been suggested in the 12-page Project RAINBOW Report that a coalition of more than two dozen LGBTQ+ advocate organizations and health care providers had released in February with the aim of addressing challenges faced by TGI individuals.
"This website guides TGI folks to information on their health care rights and state services, and lists resources for trans-inclusive care and resolving health plan issues," stated Menjivar, adding that the new online resource "is vital for TGI Californians, as well as those out of state who are denied guidance on their federal rights to affirming health care."
Kathie Moehlig, the mother of an adult trans son who founded and leads the San Diego-based TransFamily Support Services (https://transfamilysos.org/) as its executive director, expressed gratitude to the state leaders and community members who helped usher in the launch of the website. At the same time, Moehlig noted the work to assist and protect TGI patients is not done.
"While the creation of this website marks a significant step forward, we recognize that there is still much work to be done to ensure it truly serves the needs of transgender, gender diverse, and intersex individuals," stated Moehlig. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Department of Managed Health Care and other partners to improve the website's functionality and accessibility, making it the robust resource our community deserves."
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