Vivent Health Supports Trans Community and Access to Gender Affirming Care

Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a misguided, unjust, and harmful new state directive last week that would severely restrict gender-affirming care for both adults and minors in the state under the guise of consumer protection.

Let’s be clear – gender-affirming care is safe and is based on decades of clinical experience and research. These new rules contradict the broad consensus of medical professionals, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and American Academy of Pediatrics, that have overwhelmingly agreed age-appropriate gender-affirming care is safe, necessary, and life-saving.

The Attorney General’s ruling is based on discrimination and is a misapplication of consumer protection statutes — ignoring both science and what’s in the best interest of transgender and non-binary Missourians. Denying anyone access to care is discriminatory and only deepens health disparities already plaguing marginalized communities. Every time individuals are stigmatized they are pushed further away from engaging in care – including necessary preventative and primary medical care — reinforcing the prejudices and injustices that lead to poor health outcomes among our LGBTQ+ community.

Vivent Health is committed to protecting the health of all our patients, clients, and staff. To this end, we are exploring all options to ensure continued access to gender-affirming care for the people we serve and employ.  We condemn the new emergency ruling in the strongest possible terms and call on the Missouri Attorney General to revoke it immediately.