Agency for Health Care Administration Releases Generally Accepted Professional Medical Standards Determination on the Treatment of Gender Dysphoria

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) released a Generally Accepted Professional Medical Standards report related to the treatment of gender dysphoria. The report is in follow up to the Florida Department of Health’s (FDOH) guidance detailing the lack of conclusive evidence in recent directives and “fact sheets” issued by the Biden Administration and the US Department of Health and Human Services for the coverage of “gender affirming” care, for children and adolescents.

Based on the FDOH guidance and in accordance with Chapter 59G-1035, Florida Administrative Code, Agency Secretary Simone Marstiller requested that the Florida Medicaid program review whether treatments for gender dysphoria are consistent with generally accepted professional medical standards. Today’s announcement, outlined below, summarizes the findings and recommendations.

Following a robust review of available medical evidence and the assessment of five medical experts, including health care researchers who studied the quality of the evidence relied upon for “gender affirming” care, the Agency has determined that several services for the treatment of gender dysphoria – i.e., sex reassignment surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers – are not consistent with generally accepted professional medical standards and are experimental and investigational with the potential for harmful long term affects.

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