House Bill 495 - no gender-affirming care
Kentucky House Bill 495 was amended to prohibit Medicaid from paying for gender-affirming care.
Elections have consequences.
— Nate Morris (@NateMorris) March 13, 2025
After refusing to stand up to keep men out of women's sports in Kentucky, Andy Beshear is now opposing a bill that would stop taxpayers from being forced to pay for "gender affirming care" through Medicaid.
Kentuckians have had enough of this crap!
House Bill 495, originally aimed to cancel Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order restricting conversion therapy but was amended to prohibit Medicaid from paying for gender-affirming care at taxpayer expense, including hormonal therapy and surgeries for transgender individuals.
The bill’s sponsor argued the additions ensure the government isn’t funding elective care for transgender people, while critics, including LGBTQ advocates and professional associations, denounced it as an attack on transgender health care.
On March 13, 2025, the Kentucky Senate passed HB 495 with a large enough majority to override the Governor's veto, amid ongoing debates about its impact on transgender Kentuckians’ access to medical care.
Kentucky law already bans gender-affirming care for minors, which the bill builds upon by extending restrictions to Medicaid coverage for adults.