KMAP BULLETIN: Senate Bill No. 63

Date: 05/19/25

From: Christine Osterlund
Deputy Secretary of Agency Integration and State Medicaid Director
Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health Care Finance

On February 25, 2025, SB 63 became law in the state of Kansas. The short title of this bill is:

AN ACT concerning children and minors; relating to healthcare of minors; enacting the help not harm act; prohibiting healthcare providers from treating a child whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex.

Key elements of the bill include:

Section 2 (c), which states:

The Kansas program of medical assistance and its managed care organizations shall not reimburse or provide coverage for medication or surgery as provided in section 3, and amendments thereto, as a treatment for a child whose perceived gender or perceived sex is inconsistent with such child's sex.

Section 3 (a), which states:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) or (d), a healthcare provider shall not knowingly perform the following surgical procedures or prescribe, dispense, or administer the following medications to a female child for the purpose of treatment for distress arising from such female child's perception that such child's gender or sex is not female. (Refer to SB 63 for medications / details.)

Sections 3 (b) and (d), which state:

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) or (d), a healthcare provider shall not knowingly perform the following surgical procedures or prescribe, dispense, or administer the following medications to a male child for the purpose of treatment for distress arising from such male child's perception that such child's gender or sex is not male. (Refer to SB 63 for medications / details.)

(d) If a healthcare provider has initiated a course of treatment for a child that includes prescribing, administering, or dispensing of a drug prohibited by subsection (a)(2), (a)(3), (b)(2) or (b)(3) prior to the effective date of this act, the healthcare provider may continue such course of treatment if the healthcare provider:

(1) Develops a plan to systematically reduce the child's use of such drug;

(2) Determines and documents in the child's medical record that immediately terminating the child's use of such drug would cause harm to the child; and

(3) Such course of treatment shall not extend beyond December 31, 2025.

SB 63 can be accessed here: sb63_enrolled.pdf

The reader is encouraged to review the entirety of SB 63 in detail.

This Provider Bulletin serves as notice that, as of February 25, 2025, new initiation of pharmacologic (hormonal) treatment of gender identity disorder among Medicaid members under the age of 18 years will not be covered. Pharmacologic (hormonal) treatment initiated in this subpopulation prior to February 25, 2025, must be terminated by December 31, 2025. Any surgical treatment rendered for Medicaid beneficiaries in this sub-population after February 25, 2025, will not be covered.