AKRON, Ohio — The city of Akron’s gender-affirming surgical care benefit in the employee health care plan is nearing its first year in effect, but facets of that benefit could be in jeopardy as Ohio House Bill 454 moves forward.
Akron joined Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Dayton in offering the benefit to transgender employees and employees’ dependents, the city said in a release.
A hearing took place Thursday for House Bill 454, which is assigned to the Families, Aging and Human Services Committee.
Titled the Save our Adolescents from Experimentation Act, the bill would prevent gender-affirming health care for people under 18 in several ways, despite that care recommended for transgender minors by the American Academy of Pediatricians and the Endocrine Society.
Prior to adding the gender-affirming surgical benefit, Akron provided access to hormone therapy for several years, the city said, with neither benefit having a major impact on the plan‘s costs.
The city said it does not have data on how many employees or dependents have used the gender-affirming surgical benefits.
“As a city, we have placed a high importance on equity and that’s a goal that we must always be striving towards and improving upon,” Horrigan said. “These new benefits for our employees are just one more step in the right direction.”
HB 454 seeks to restrict what Medicaid pays for sex reassignment surgery, and prohibit referrals for treatments for minors with gender dysphoria. It also would restrict what information shared by transgender youth school officials can withhold from parents.
Under the bill, hospitals that provide gender-affirming care could lose public funding and physicians who provide treatment could lose their licenses. Similar bills have been introduced in several other states.
The city’s Human Resources director Yamini Adkins said the city’s HR staff worked tirelessly to secure those benefits.
“Creating an inclusive environment for all of our employees to thrive in and which encourages them to bring their full, authentic selves to work each day is vitally important to our success,” she said.
Horrigan said he hopes the gender-affirming benefits help Akron score 100% again this year on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index Scorecard.
The Human Rights Campaign is a group that works to end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ population, advocates equality and provides education. The scorecard rates cities across the country, analyzing employment practices, laws, services, law enforcement and leadership.
In addition to Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton scored 100% on the scorecard in 2021, while Toledo scored 98% and Lakewood scored 81%.
The Human Rights Campaign makes it tougher each year to get a perfect score, Horrigan said.
