Sex-Reassignment Surgery Will No Longer be Automatically Denied by Medicare

A federal review board has ruled that Medicare will now cover sex-reassignment surgery on a case-by-case basis. The review board decided that coverage for sex-reassignment surgery will no longer be automatically denied by Medicare.

The ruling does not create a right for Medicare recipients to receive payment for their reassignment surgery, but it does allow flexibility for doctors to use clinical evidence to determine if the cost should be covered.

The estimated cost for treatments is anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 per person.

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D.C. Instructs Insurance Companies to Cover Gender Reassignment Surgery

Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington D.C. announced that D.C. will now require insurance companies to provide full coverage to transgender residents, which includes gender reassignment surgery. The D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking stated its official position that treatment and gender reassignment surgery for gender dysphoria are covered benefits. The Mayor stated that transgender people should not be required to pay extensive out-of-pocket fees for treatment.

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