A federal judge on Wednesday refused to issue a preliminary injunction to block a new state rule preventing Medicaid reimbursements for gender-affirming treatments for transgender people, saying plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate “irreparable harm.” But U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle also questioned how state health officials supported their decision to block the Medicaid coverage, saying they recruited five doctors “who are decidedly out of the mainstream” to bolster the state’s position. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which largely oversees the Medicaid program, proposed a rule this summer to prevent reimbursements to medical providers for such treatments as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-reassignment surgery.
A federal judge on Wednesday refused to issue a preliminary injunction to block a new state rule preventing Medicaid reimbursements for gender-affirming treatments for transgender people, saying plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate “irreparable harm.” But U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle also questioned how state health officials supported their decision to block the Medicaid coverage, saying they recruited five doctors “who are decidedly out of the mainstream” to bolster the state’s position. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which largely oversees the Medicaid program, proposed a rule this summer to prevent reimbursements to medical providers for such treatments as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-reassignment surgery.