Chicago to expand insurance for transgender employees, pay for gender reassignme

[traci_k]

Chicago to expand insurance for transgender employees, pay for gender reassignment
 
http://opuschicago.com/2015/08/05/chicago-to-expand-insurance-for-transgender-employees-pay-for-gender-reassignment/#

Opus Chicago
John M Livelsbergeron   August 5, 2015   

     
Transgender persons working for Chicago will have expanded health insurance benefits —joining Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

On Oct. 1, the City of Chicago will begin covering its employees' gender reassignment surgery.  Union leaders worked with the city to provide the coverage—for both union and non-union workers.
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Sorry for posting this, but being in Chicago, this is very dear to my heart. Plus if anyone is looking for a job, perhaps looking for one with the City of Chicago may be a path to transition, or Philadelphia, San Francisco, ir Washington DC or one the the five states that have already mandated coverage for either state employees or for all employer sponsored plans.

[ChiGirl]

Yay, Chicago! Of course, my wife, who had a habit of half understanding things, said, "SO, this means your transition will be covered?" Well, maybe, if I actually worked FOR the city, which I don't.  I don't even work IN the city.  But I think this is great.  Proud of my hometown.

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[traci_k]

Well, if we could get the state to mandate coverage like several other states, who knows, it could get covered. Like we've got a snowball's chance in you know where with a Republican governor, but with a super-majority in the legislature and enough lobbying, it could come to pass. Still working on things at the hospital I work at. I'm told it's moving slowly but surely.

[gennee]

Way to go, Chicago!

[Wynternight]

I wonder if anything else might be covered. If they offered VFS, FFS, and BA I'd go looking for a city job.

[iKate]

I wonder if anything else might be covered. If they offered VFS, FFS, and BA I'd go looking for a city job.

They may cover a speech therapist, but no insurance i know of will cover VFS. FFS maybe if you have really bad damage but even then it's uphill. BA is sometimes covered.

[Wynternight]

I wonder if anything else might be covered. If they offered VFS, FFS, and BA I'd go looking for a city job.

They may cover a speech therapist, but no insurance i know of will cover VFS. FFS maybe if you have really bad damage but even then it's uphill. BA is sometimes covered.

I have heard, and maybe from someone here, that their insurance covered their entire transition but it took a lot of fighting and back and forth calls and letters from therapists, doctors, etc. I plan on doing everything I can to prove medical necessity for the VFS and FFS and see what happens. I may end up fighting them for a year but in the end they may say yes.

[iKate]

They may cover a speech therapist, but no insurance i know of will cover VFS. FFS maybe if you have really bad damage but even then it's uphill. BA is sometimes covered.


I have heard, and maybe from someone here, that their insurance covered their entire transition but it took a lot of fighting and back and forth calls and letters from therapists, doctors, etc. I plan on doing everything I can to prove medical necessity for the VFS and FFS and see what happens. I may end up fighting them for a year but in the end they may say yes.

I have only heard of that happening in other countries that have a nationalized healthcare system (eg UK).

But good luck anyway. I am approaching my insurance about SRS but I don't know if I would like their choice of surgeon so I'm prepared to pay cash anyway. Even if it hurts. I want a good result and that's all that matters.

[Wynternight]

They may cover a speech therapist, but no insurance i know of will cover VFS. FFS maybe if you have really bad damage but even then it's uphill. BA is sometimes covered.


I have heard, and maybe from someone here, that their insurance covered their entire transition but it took a lot of fighting and back and forth calls and letters from therapists, doctors, etc. I plan on doing everything I can to prove medical necessity for the VFS and FFS and see what happens. I may end up fighting them for a year but in the end they may say yes.

I have only heard of that happening in other countries that have a nationalized healthcare system (eg UK).

But good luck anyway. I am approaching my insurance about SRS but I don't know if I would like their choice of surgeon so I'm prepared to pay cash anyway. Even if it hurts. I want a good result and that's all that matters.

It's happened in the US but it's a fight. I'm willing to fight the fight and if I win I'll be all over here letting people know how I did it.