People attend a rally as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, Friday, March 31, 2023, by the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer provide hormone therapy and other gender-related care to transgender veteran patients not already receiving those treatments in the VA or Defense Department health systems, officials announced Monday.
Effective immediately, VA patients with gender dysphoria who aren’t already taking hormones will not have access to that care. The department also will no longer provide new prosthetics, wigs or other medical devices or services such as voice or communication training to transgender patients.
Advocates said transgender veterans will not have access to the complete medical care they need due to the VA rollback of services — originally affirmed under a directive issued under the first Trump administration — and warned it could push more veterans into crisis, with potentially deadly outcomes.
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"VA’s rollback of crucial protections, specifically the elimination of Directive 1341, is a direct assault on the well-being of vulnerable LGBTQ+ veterans, jeopardizing their access to essential care," Rachel Branaman, executive director of Modern Military Association of America, said in a statement.
The changes, which began Friday after the VA rescinded the 2018 directive on gender-affirming care for transgender veterans, are related to an executive order issued Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump declaring that the federal government recognizes only two sexes: male and female. ShareVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemUnmuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:25Loaded: 0.00%Stream Type Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -0:25Playback RateChapters Chapters
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VA Halts Transgender Care for New Veteran Patients as Advocates Warn of Dire Consequences
