Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) has officially requested that the Biden administration turn over internal documents on its gender transition policies and communications related to Florida’s policies on “gender-affirming” care, the Daily Caller has learned.
The AHCA sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for documents pertaining to Florida’s policies on transgender healthcare. The AHCA is currently the defendant in a lawsuit over a state rule that prevents Medicaid funds from going toward “gender-affirming” care, which includes hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery.
Thank God for Florida.
Florida is subpoenaing nearly two dozen medical and academic organizations that have pushed transgender sex change treatments onto children as part of an ongoing lawsuit against a new Medicaid rule.https://t.co/oirkZy6qbc
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) December 14, 2022
The FOIA requests, reviewed by the Caller, include records pertaining not only to the Medicaid lawsuit — Dekker, et. al. v. Weida, et. al. — but also to Florida’s guidance for treatment of children with gender dysphoria as well as the state’s generally accepted medical standards for treatment of gender dysphoria. Both documents state that sex reassignment procedures lack the evidence to be considered effective treatments for gender dysphoria, particularly for children.
From the DOJ, the AHCA is seeking records related to a March 31, 2022, letter from Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to all state attorneys general pressuring states to comply with Biden administration priorities on transgender rights and treatment regulations.
The agency also requested records from HHS related to a March 2, 2022 notice regarding gender-affirming care and civil rights. The notice threatens legal action against entities that discriminate against transgender individuals.
The AHCA also requested records related to any ongoing or pending litigation related to gender dysphoria and any communications with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society or the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. (RELATED: Court Upholds Florida Ban On Taxpayer Funding For Sex Changes)
A district court recently ruled that the AAP must turn over documents to the state of Florida relating to why it supports gender transitions for minors, after the state subpoenaed a number of organizations for documents on their gender dysphoria policies last month.