Maybe Now

Do you think maybe now health insurance companies will not only remove bans on "sex transformation" proceedures and service, which often includes therapy, drugs and most of all, Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS)?

A woman as been granted authorization for SRS through her health insurance company after twice being rejected and losing internal company appeals. After threatening to sue and expose the company to conducting medical diagnoses, ie. second guessing doctors, and not heeding recommendations by the AMA and two APA's.

The woman, story here, had only her surgery to go to become physically and legally female after finishing all medical requirements and living for years as a woman. While this only involved a case with one insurance company and not a court ruling, it continues to support the argument the insurance companies are violating good faith medical practice with the ban.

Even the Office of Personnel Management which oversees the Federal Health Insurance Benefit Progam has only recommended the health insurance companies in the program remove their ban on this coverage for a known and accepted medical condition.

That was two years ago, and while there are only a few active or retired employees who would use the coverage, it's clear it's critical for their well-being and life, and like any other medical condition, should be covered as part of the standard policy coverage.

For now, though, it's one more health insurance company which has removed the ban. Somehow, I think it would have been better if they had taken this case to court to get a new ruling everyone can use, not just this one woman this time, which still give other companies an out.

We can hope better now?