On Friday, DFLers in the Minnesota Senate introduced a bill that would lift the ban on transgender-specific health care in state-funded health insurance plans.

Minnesota law specifically forbids the state’s Medicaid program from covering gender confirmation health care for transgender people. The state covered such procedures until 2005 when legislators passed, and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed, a health and human services omnibus bill that blocked the coverage. Currently, Medical Assistance, General Assistance Medical Care, and MinnesotaCare do not provide equitable health care for transgender Minnesotans.

Under the bill introduced on Friday (SF2141), the term “sex reassignment surgery” is deleted and replaced with “treatment of gender dysphoria.”

The line: “Sex reassignment surgery is not covered” would be amended with “unless medically necessary.”

In addition, the bill would make medications related to transitioning available under state-funded health insurance plans: “the commissioner may include within the drug formulary established under subdivision 13d, drugs for the treatment of gender dysphoria.”

The bill was introduced by Sens. Scott Dibble of Minneapolis, Chris Eaton of Brooklyn Center, Kathy Sheran of Mankato, John Marty of Roseville, and Sandy Pappas of St. Paul.