Trans Policy Brief: Medicare Card Gender Marker

[Shana A]

Trans Policy Brief: Medicare Card Gender Marker

http://transgenderequality.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/trans-policy-brief-medicare-card-gender-marker/

Among the most frustrating and dangerous things for many trans people is having inaccurate identification that does not match their gender identity. It is especially troubling with documents like the Medicare card for which there is no programmatic or practical reason to include a gender marker on the card. This bureaucratic mistake causes trans seniors and people with disabilities who are Medicare beneficiaries to frequently and unnecessarily be outed as trans whenever they show their Medicare cards to access services. The gender marker is in big letters smack in the middle of the Medicare card and can't be missed by any pharmacist or a doctors' office front desk staff–people who just don't have a reason to know about your trans-related medical status.

NCTE has been working to fix this problem and will not stop until it is done.