Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Olivia Thomas
09.08.22
Pillsbury has joined forces with LGBTQ+ and health advocacy groups including Lambda Legal, Southern Legal Counsel, Florida Health Justice Project and National Health Law Program in a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s anti-transgender health care rule denying coverage for transgender Medicaid beneficiaries’ medically necessary gender-affirming medical care.
The lawsuit, Dekker, et al., v. Marstiller, et al., was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida against the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), on behalf of four plaintiffs: August Dekker (he/him) and Brit Rothstein (he/him), as well as two minors identified under pseudonyms, Susan (represented by her parents Jane and John Doe) and K.F. (represented by his mother, Jade Ladue).
The rule adopted by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which oversees Florida’s Medicaid Program, went into effect on August 21 and has left thousands of transgender people in Florida without access to critical medical care for the treatment of gender dysphoria. According to the lawsuit, AHCA finalized the rule on August 1 after ignoring expert testimony and thousands of public comments during the rule-making process earlier this summer.
The Pillsbury team includes Litigation partners Jennifer Altman and Shani Rivaux, senior associate William Miller and associates Joe Little and Gary Shaw.
Pillsbury takes great pride in its unwavering dedication to continue building a diverse and inclusive culture. Year after year, Pillsbury’s inclusion efforts are recognized by Vault.com, the National Association of Female Executives and the Human Rights Campaign, among other organizations. Most notably, Pillsbury has been named as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” for 16 consecutive years. To learn more about Pillsbury’s inclusive culture, click here.