A health care bill that spotlights transgender individuals and was approved by the California Assembly Health Committee assumes that healthcare professionals are deficient in the way they treat their patients, according to a Beverly Hills dentist.
“The vast majority of my colleagues - and all the physicians I know - view our patients as individuals, not as members of groups,” Dr. Joel Strom told the Southern California Record. “Once again, perhaps with good intentions, legislators create laws that force us to look at patients as members of groups.”
Strom made the comments in reaction to Senate Bill 923, which would require doctors and health care staff to enroll in Continuing Medical Education (CME) 'evidence-based cultural competency training' for the benefit of patients who identify as transgender, gender diverse, or intersex (TGI).
“I have had occasion to provide dental-related services to members of the TGI community and would never think of treating those patients with any less respect, individuality, and professionalism,” he said. “If there are to be more laws, they ought to apply solely to those who have been found to be deficient in some manner, practicing below the standard of care.”
Sanctions are embedded in the proposed legislation to ensure compliance. For example, if approved, SB 923 would require a second training in the event a valid complaint is filed against a health care provider.
“You could wallpaper our whole lunchroom with regulations and rules that we're supposed to follow, and our staff has to learn about,” Strom said. “That’s where it gets out of control when the government comes up with these new ideas. As taken separately, they all sound okay. I can deal with that, but when you put them all together, it's really onerous.”
The Transgender Inclusive Health Care Act was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to protect LGBTQ adults and transgender children from alleged attacks by right-wing state leaders, according to a statement online issued by Wiener.
"Our duty to patients is simply to offer treatment where we are qualified to do so and refer to others who can help that patient when we are not the best person to offer the diagnosis or treatment," Strom said. "It just seems like you're telling us that we're racist or homophobic."
The legislation would also create tracking and monitoring of complaints, require the Health and Human Services Agency to issue enforceable quality standards for treating TGI patients, and mandate that health insurance companies include a list of providers who offer gender-affirming services in their network directories.
"TGI people should have access to positive healthcare experiences, which includes seeing providers who are able to give them the care they need in a non-judgmental and supportive environment and being able to search for providers who provide gender-affirming services," Strom added. "I just don't believe that the way to get there is to assume that healthcare professionals are deficient in the way we treat our patients."