Howard Fischer PHOENIX — Senate Republicans sent out a news release claiming"taxpayers will be shelling out $788 million annually" to pay for state employees' gender reassignment surgeries — but their spokeswoman now admits that's not true.
People are also reading… The insurance coverage of the surgeries for state government and university employees will be new under an executive order issued last week by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, which the Senate Republicans call an"abuse of power.""I'm used to writing 'millions' and not 'thousands,' '' she told Capitol Media Services when asked about the report.
Insurance carrier covers it elsewhere Arizona already pays for some gender-affirming care for state and university workers and retirees, including hormone replacement. "By removing the exclusion for gender reassignment surgery, ADOA will be aligning its covered benefits with the standard coverages provided by our contracted carriers,'' she wrote.
The cost of what he wants is virtually certain to be far less than the $140,000 figure: Toomey already paid years ago for his own chest-reduction surgery.