Two years on, Oregon’s transgender health care law faces obstacles

Two years ago, Oregon lawmakers hailed the passage of legislation meant to ensure that costs or red tape would no longer keep transgender Oregonians from medical treatments that would ease their transitions.

Supporters including state Rep. Travis Nelson, D-Portland, even said the new law would help save lives of a population at a higher risk of suicide.

“Transgender Oregonians are still to this day forced to wait years for the care they need, and, in some cases, are unable to afford care that is not covered by their insurance plan,” Nelson said on the House floor, noting that many medical organizations recognize such care as medically necessary and evidence-based.

Two years later, that law’s promises are colliding with a scarcity of medical professionals able to provide gender-affir