Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Health Insurance Coverage

For many of us, we could not get health insurance coverage or they charged outrageous premiums just because we are transgender. Well, all that has changed because of the Affordable Care Act…
Breaking: Transgender Patients Protected From Discrimination
The Paramus Post
By Mel Fabrikant
August 07, 2012

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services agrees – Affordable Care Act protects against discrimination based on gender identity

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has clarified that sex-based discrimination that is prohibited by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotypes. Furthermore, the Department has made clear this includes discrimination against transgender people and discrimination based on how masculine or feminine a person presents.

HHS’s clarification, expressed in a letter to a coalition of LGBT groups, follows a trend among courts and government agencies in interpreting sex discrimination laws to include discrimination against transgender people. This April, in a case brought by Transgender Law Center – Macy v. Holder, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled that transgender employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
Unfortunately this does not cover surgery for us. But I believe that if President Obama is reelected that it will eventually be covered. 

No comments:

Post a Comment