Healthcare (Medicaid)

Joint Budget Committee. Current law authorizes medicaid reimbursement for therapy using equine movement provided by a licensed physical therapist, a licensed occupational therapist, or a certified speech-language pathologist. The bill repeals this provision and reduces the 2026-27 appropriation to the department of health care policy and financing by $181,514.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits a person, health-care provider, or mental health professional from knowingly performing surgery on, or prescribing, administering, or providing hormones or puberty blockers to, a minor for the purpose of altering the minor's biological sex characteristics, or providing mental health therapy, counseling, or referrals that promote or affirm a minor's belief that the minor was born in the wrong body or that the minor needs medical intervention to address distress related to the minor's biological sex (prohibited interventions).     The bill prohibits the state from investigating or penalizing a minor's parent, or terminating the parent's rights, for refusing to consent to a prohibited intervention for the minor. A public school, health-care provider, or a governmental entity is prohibited from withholding information from a minor's parent regarding the minor's express desire to transition the minor's biological sex.     The bill prohibits state or federal funding, medicaid reimbursement, and health insurance coverage from being used to pay for a prohibited intervention. A person who, as a minor, was subjected to a prohibited intervention may bring a civil action within 20 years after attaining the age of 18 years against the person, health-care provider, or mental health professional who performed or provided the prohibited intervention.     The bill requires a regulator to revoke a health-care provider's or mental health professional's license for performing or providing a prohibited intervention. A person who knowingly performs or provides a prohibited intervention commits a class 5 felony, and the court is required to sentence the person to the maximum term of imprisonment and impose the maximum fine.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act prohibits the department of health care policy and financing (department) from making a wage enhancement supplemental payment to an eligible nursing home provider regardless of when the services were provided. The act reduces the 2025-26 state fiscal year appropriation to the department for medical and long-term care services for medicaid eligible individuals by $4,359,961.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)