Georgia State Workers Sue Over Denial of Trans Health Care Coverage
Georgia state employees and others are suing the state over its denial of insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender workers and trans dependents.The suit, Rich v.
Georgia, was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. It says the exclusion of transition procedures under the Georgia State Health Benefit Plan is unlawful discrimination.
It cites the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, plus other court rulings.The plaintiffs are represented by the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and co-counsel Bondurant Mixson & Ellmore LLP.
They include Micha Rich and Benjamin Johnson, who are both employees of Georgia government agencies and are being denied transgender-related health care; the Campaign for Southern Equality, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ civil rights organization; and Jane Doe, a state employee, and her young adult child John Doe, who is transgender and is enrolled in state health plan.“Members enrolled in SHBP health plans generally receive coverage for their medically necessary care.
