Adams proposes increased transgendered health care benefits

[Natasha]

Adams proposes increased transgendered health care benefits

http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=130687518329318500
5/31/11
By Jim Redden

According to a statement from Adams' office, the American Medical Association has identified transgender health care as being medically necessary. In 2008, the AMA passed a resolution supporting public and private health insurance coverage for treatment of gender identity disorder and opposing the "exclusions of coverage for treatment of gender identity disorder when prescribed by a physician," according to the statement.

"As mayor, it is important to me that we attract and retain the best and brightest employees to the city of Portland. Offering non-discriminatory health care benefits — as leading employers like Nike, Google, Microsoft and IBM do — is one way to accomplish that goal," Adams said. "Covering basic, medically necessary care is a matter of fairness, and it's the right thing to do."

[Muffins]

how will this tie in with the recent proposed DSM updates? is it contradictory? Or will it help to influence a positive change/radical rewrite of the DSM? OR unrelated/ :S

[pixiegirl]

Totally unrelated, I'd say. Can't for the life of me see how it'd influence anything.

[Dawn D.]

Muffin,

Exceedingly unlikely to have any influence upon the issuance of how we're represented within the DSM. Yet, with the grassroots efforts that are gaining ground in areas such as Portland, Ore. and other places, there will someday be a tipping point that will bring this issue to a National level of discussion. Between, same sex marriage, transsexual marriage status, employment nondiscrimination, and the elimination of discriminatory exclusion of health care access for transsexual/gender people; this will be an unavoidable topic before too long.

All of these issues seem to be roiling just below the surface of awareness. Tying them together as a major civil rights issue would generate the "800lb gorilla in the room" which could no longer be ignored.


Dawn