Attorney General Bonta Secures Major Court Victory Protecting Gender-Affirming Care Under the Affordable Care Act

August 15, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — Co-leading a multistate coalition alongside the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New Jersey, California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday secured a major victory after the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down a key provision of a Trump Administration final rule that would have excluded coverage of certain types of gender-affirming care as essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Essential health benefits are subject to the ACA’s financial protections, including limits on out-of-pocket costs. “Everyone deserves access to health coverage,” said Attorney General Bonta . “The Trump Administration tried to exclude gender-affirming care from qualifying as an essential health benefit. We fought back, and the court’s ruling means this care can — and in many states must — qualify for the ACA’s financial protections, ensuring transgender people have an equal opportunity to benefit from the ACA.” The final rule at issue — the “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability” rule — was proposed by the Trump Administration in March 2025 to curb alleged ACA enrollment