Trans Ohioans, advocates criticize proposed rules for healthcare providers

Transgender Ohioans and advocates expressed concerns with Ohio’s proposed rules for providers of gender-affirming care at a public hearing on Monday.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services proposed rules to implement House Bill 68, which would restrict medical care for transgender children. Those who testified were troubled by insufficient numbers of providers, particularly psychologists and endocrinologists, in Ohio to handle the reporting requirements under the proposed rules.

The proposed rules would require gender-affirming care providers to submit treatment plans annually. The Ohio Department of Health rules would require healthcare providers to report any gender-related condition diagnosis, prescription or beginning or ending of treatment including gender reassignment surgery and gender transition services to the Department of Health within 30 business days.

The health department said it will share this data, without any information that would identify individual patients, with the legislature and the public each January 31 and July 31.

Dustin McKee, CEO of the Ohio Psychological Association, suggested the term “gender-related condition” be replaced with gender dysphoria which is a specific clinical diagnosis. McKee also said he is worried the reporting requirement may discourage a population already distrustful of the medical establishment from seeking medically necessary care.

Many speakers called for the rules to be rescinded entirely.

“There is no right way to do the wrong thing,” said Lee Tepper, chair of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center board of directors.

Sean McCann, a policy strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the ACLU’s legal team is in the process of speaking with plaintiffs and experts but the organization plans to file a lawsuit before HB 68 would go into effect on April 24.

Oliver Licking, a representative of Equitas Health, which provides gender-affirming care in Ohio, told reporters after the hearing that he is concerned not only about transgender people and their families leaving Ohio but also about healthcare providers choosing not to practice in Ohio.

“There’s a projection that we could lose residents wanting to get residency in the state of Ohio because they are going to look at the health care environment in Ohio and say ‘Look at all of these restrictions. Why would I learn and establish myself in this state? I’m going to go pick a residency somewhere else,’ and that could create major ripple effects in healthcare of all kinds,” he said.

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.