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This rulemaking proposes to remove a restriction in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulation that prohibits VA from providing medical services that are considered gender alterations. In the past, gender dysphoria, previously referred to as transsexualism or gender identity disorder, was a disorder for which transition-related surgeries and procedures were considered treatment, but such surgeries and procedures required further research to assure their safety and reliability. Due to the prior limited knowledge about both gender dysphoria and effective transition-related procedures, surgical procedures in particular were not deemed to be medically necessary. However, increased understanding of both gender dysphoria and surgical techniques in this area have improved significantly, and surgical procedures are now widely accepted in the medical community as medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria. Additionally, recent medical research shows that gender dysphoria is a serious condition that has had severe medical consequences for certain patients if transition-related surgeries and procedures are not provided. In light of these medical advances and recent research, VA would revise its regulation to remove the prohibition on medical services that are considered gender alterations. In this way, medical decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis about what procedures are medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria.