Friend, Friends, again we have to report on more bad news that came out late last week. Due to the passage of H. 4624 during this year's General Assembly session, MUSC has announced that it will cease accepting new patients for transition-related health care on August 1, 2024, and will end all transition-related care for transgender patients by January 31, 2025. This extremely rigid decision applies to adults as well as children and is based in part on the ban added late in the legislative process that prevents adult patients with state provided health insurance from using this insurance to pay for their care, although the intent of the law was only supposed to apply to children. For now, there are other providers that do continue to offer these services, but they may decide later that if MUSC doesn't offer this care that they shouldn't either. We'll just have to wait and see. The press release by MUSC Chief Executive Officer Patrick J. Cawley is presented here: "MUSC must follow the new law that took effect on May 21, 2024 (Bill H4624, Gender Reassignment Procedures). This new law prohibits physicians, mental health providers, or other health care professionals in SC from knowingly providing gender transition procedures to a person under eighteen years of age. The law prohibits the use of public funds directly or indirectly for gender transition procedures. MUSC Health funds are public funds, we are prohibited from providing gender transition services to all patients. This law is focused on gender transition procedures only. Our providers can prescribe hormone treatment for several other conditions, such as endometriosis. MUSC strives to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina and beyond. While MUSC Health can no longer offer this specific service, we provide a vast array of other complex care, primary and behavioral health services that are accessible to all patients, including transgender patients." |
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There are still options for care in South Carolina. When H.4624 became law, our friends and partners at Campaign for Southern Equality and Alliance for Full Acceptance "launched a new resource to help transgender adults navigate any issues that arose from the broad provisions of the law that also impact adults. This includes a hotline that adults can write into for support in identifying a new provider that is not impacted by H.4624. CSE and AFFA have implemented “patient care funds” in partnership with several clinics across the state; those patient care funds will support the costs of an initial appointment for adults denied care by MUSC. South Carolinians who need support should contact www.southernequality.org/SCHealthcareHelp." "Through the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project, Campaign for Southern Equality – in partnership with We Are Family, Uplift Outreach Center, and Harriet Hancock Center – is also supporting the families of transgender youth who lost access to gender-affirming care in South Carolina, under H.4624. Families can access patient navigation services to out-of-state care and $500 emergency grants by visiting www.southernequality.org/scresources." We at SC Equality urge you to take advantage of these resources. |
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As we have often noted, the only long term way to stop these attacks on the LGBTQ+ citizens of South Carolina, our friends and allies, is to vote for fair-minded candidates who will listen to our concerns and vote for bills that protect us, and against those that would cause us harm. Please check your registration at scvotes.gov, and also make sure that your loved-ones, friends and neighbors are also registered to vote on Nov. 5. The registration deadline is Oct. 5, 30 days before election day. It shouldn't need to be said but doing your homework and knowing who you want to vote for (or against) on the down-ballot races including all 124 State House and 46 Senate Districts, County Council members, County officers such as Sheriff, school board members, and other local offices is just as important as voting for the top of the ticket. Before you go vote, you can check your sample ballot at scvotes.gov as well. SC election law allows voters to bring a sample ballot into the voting booth with them. |
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