California’s taxpayer-funded health insurance, Medi-Cal, which was newly offered to more than 700,000 illegal immigrants will cover hormone therapy and surgical sex change procedures.
The Daily Caller News Foundation conducted a review of the state-run health insurance program and found that elective procedures, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), surgical sex changes, and other cosmetic procedures will be covered under the state’s new policies.
Covered procedures include those “that bring primary and secondary gender characteristics into conformity with the individual’s identified gender, including ancillary services, such as hair removal, incident to those services,” according to a memo released in May 2022.
The memo references the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines and standards of care, which assert the claim that children of any age are eligible for social and medical “transition.”
“Gender affirming care is a covered Medi-Cal benefit when medically necessary,” the memo reads. “Requests for gender affirming care should be from specialists experienced in providing culturally competent care to transgender and gender diverse individuals and should use nationally recognized guidelines.”
As of January 1, every individual residing in the state who meets a certain annual income threshold level will be eligible to receive Medical-Cal, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status, making illegal immigrants living in the state eligible for taxpayer-funded elective, “gender-affirming” procedures. TPUSA previously reported that the new expansion of the state health coverage is expected to cost California taxpayers approximately $1.2 billion in the first six months of its implementation, and a subsequent $3.1 billion a year.
Despite California’s reported $68 billion deficient, illegal immigrants aren’t the only non-contributing individuals who are eligible to receive “gender-affirming” care on taxpayers’ dime. Since 2017, California has reportedly spent more than $4 million in taxpayer funds on cosmetic “enhancements” for prisoners meant to treat gender dysphoria, this included four inmates on death row.
Given the reckless overspending, it comes as no surprise that the state’s budget has grown to $300 billion, which is larger by far than any other state in the U.S.
