Mental health providers say DSS has imposed restrictive requirements on transgender patients The Connecticut Mirror https://ctmirror.org/2022/12/09/ct-social-services-transgender-gender-affirming-surgery/by Kate Farrish
C-HIT.org
December 9, 2022 @ 5:05 pm
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A coalition of mental health providers who treat transgender people in Connecticut has complained for months that the state Department of Social Services has imposed what they call unnecessary and overly restrictive requirements on patients seeking gender-affirming surgery.
In March, DSS imposed a blanket denial of gender-affirming surgery for anyone under 18...
DSS also stipulated that one of the providers must have a doctorate.
In August, DSS dropped the doctorate requirement and now requires only one letter from providers for chest surgeries and facial feminization procedures.
Richards’ statement said that DSS is considering more changes to match recent updates to the widely accepted guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Eckert said that would be good news since WPATH now recommends that transgender people live for six months in a new gender, instead of a year, before surgery is covered.
