Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Turning The Corner

Are we at the nadir of trans health care? Is the healthcare industry turning around and start treat us like other patients? The American Psychological Association has a webpage about us.
Transgender today
Throughout history, transgender people have been misunderstood and seldom studied. That’s beginning to change.
By Eve Glicksman
April 2013, Vol 44, No. 4

In addition, more studies are exploring treatment for transgender people who seek it, as well as ways to combat the discrimination many still face. Plus, many universities — Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton and Yale among them — are starting to offer health insurance plans that include coverage for hormone therapy or gender-reassignment surgery for transgender students, a move unheard of just six years ago.

APA and other groups have increased their advocacy on behalf of transgender people as well. In 2008, APA's Council of Representatives adopted its Resolution on Transgender, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Nondiscrimination to support full equality and "the legal and social recognition of transgender individuals consistent with their gender identity and expression." The resolution also recognized the benefit and necessity of gender transition treatments for some people and called on insurance providers to cover these treatments when professional evaluations deemed them medically necessary.

Now, being transgender is being acknowledged as "part of the human condition," says lore m. dickey, PhD, visiting assistant professor at University of Southern Mississippi, who studies the area.
What is the motivation for the change?

I believe it is the ACA or as it is more commonly called Obamacare. It mandates coverage for us and that is the driving force behind hospitals sitting up and taking notice of us… there is money to be made.

Before the ACA most of us never had insurance or could afford paying out of our own pockets for our healthcare, now we have insurance coverage. I know of two hospitals that are now looking into how to be more inclusive of the trans community.

Now if only they move us out of the DSM.

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