Cuomo chops off sex-change fundsBy CARL CAMPANILE
Last Updated: 7:11 AM, October 1, 2011
Posted: 2:11 AM, October 1, 2011
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The Cuomo administration killed a controversial proposal that would have required taxpayers to foot the bill for transgender patients to get sex-change surgery.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah shot down the recommendation to have Medicaid cover "sexual- reassignment surgery" allowing transgender people to change their physical characteristics from man to woman or vice versa.
"Gender-reassignment surgery is a fundamentally complex medical issue. However, no consideration is being given to any change in current state policy, and any proposal to have gender- reassignment surgery funded by Medicaid would be rejected," Shah said.