Office of Personnel Management Removes Gender Confirmation Surgery Exclusion

[JulieBlair]

Big News!@!@!

I got a message from my lawyer yesterday, and for trans folks in the US this is very big news:  The federal office of personnel management has removed the mandatory exclusion for Gender Confirmation Surgery (SRS) from the federal guidelines.  What this means is that on the next open enrollment period for federal employees, plans may offer GCS as a covered  benefit.  Some will!

For everyone else this means that soon most private insurers will follow suit.  I do not know what state controls will continue to be in place, and if this will flow into the Affordable Care Act.  But this is a huge step towards medical equality! When I go back to work tomorrow, I'll call Melinda and see if I can find out more. 

Yippee!!!!
Julie

[Tysilio]

Yippee!!!!

Yes!!!

This, along with the Medicare ruling, gives me hope that I'll be able to get surgery before I'm too old for it to be (relatively) safe.

Things seem to be changing very fast in this area -- it's fantastic.

[JulieBlair]

Here is the official announcement.

On June 13, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) quietly released a
"program carrier document" related to the Federal Employee Health Benefits
Program (FEHB). The subject of the letter is "Gender Identity Disorder/Gender
Dysphoria."

The effect of the letter is to allow federal employee health insurance carriers to
provide insurance for sex change operations and for expenses related to a sex
change operation. OPM describes this as the need to provide health benefits
consistent with each person's individual medical status before and after gender
transition. The OPM letter also states that OPM is removing the requirement that
FEHB brochures exclude "services, drugs, or supplies related to sex
transformations."

According to the OPM letter, health insurance carriers cannot remain silent on
the issue. Instead, carriers will have to propose one of two options:
Remove the General Exclusion language and provide to OPM the specific
brochure text that describes the covered components and limitations of care for
the diagnosis; or Maintain the General Exclusion language for the 2015 plan year.
The federal government's Medicare program also lifted a ban on sexreassignment
surgeries about two weeks ago.

[Tessa James]

Thank You Julie for providing the personal leadership and taking the many steps as an "out" transgender person to facilitate these significant advances in our federal health care coverage.  It's people like you who notably stand up and make the case for inclusion.  There are compelling reasons to provide comprehensive care to all of us and Julie your professionalism is as unassailable as the argument to do so.

We all have opportunities to advance understanding and help people know we are out here and deserve comprehensive medical care.  Talking to our health care providers and legislators about the current discriminatory practices is still needed.

Congratulations Julie and to us all. 

[JulieBlair]

There is still work to be done.  This action affects Federal Workers, but must be translated to the broader community too.  It is still the case that acceptance of the gender queer and trans communities  is regional.  There remain large swaths of the US where bigotry and intolerance are not only accepted, but encouraged.  Till that has changed, we must remain active and visible.

j