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Congress to Hold First Ever Hearing on Transgender Issues
Source NCTE
The US House of Representatives announced America’s first Congressional Hearing on transgender issues. The hearing, “An Examination of Discrimination Against Transgender Americans in the Workplace,” is scheduled for Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 10:30 am in room 2175 of Rayburn House Office Building. Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ) called the hearing as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor.
Committee hearings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person if you are in the area, but please be aware that space is limited.
AMA Call for “Removal of Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients”
Source NCTE
The American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution June 16, 2008
calling for “public and private health insurance coverage for treatment of
gender identity disorder as recommended by the patient’s physician.” The
declaration, known as Resolution 122, “Removing Financial Barriers to Care
for Transgender Patients,” was passed by the House of Delegates – AMA’s
primary decision-making body – at its annual conference in Chicago.
Resolution 122 affirms the effectiveness of medical treatment for
transsexuals and the right to appropriate treatment. It also names as
discriminatory the categorical denial of health insurance coverage for
psychotherapy, hormonal and surgical treatments for transgender patients,
and reiterates the AMA’s opposition to discrimination based on gender
identity. The full text of the resolution is below.
RESOLUTION 122
Subject: Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients
Whereas, Our American Medical Association opposes discrimination on the
basis of gender identity; and
Whereas, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is a serious medical condition
recognized as such in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) and the International Classification of
Diseases (10th Revision); and is characterized in the DSM-IV as a
persistent discomfort with one’s assigned sex and with one’s primary and
secondary sex characteristics, which causes intense emotional pain and
suffering; and
Whereas, GID, if left untreated, can result in clinically significant
psychological distress, dysfunction, debilitating depression and, for some
people without access to appropriate medical care and treatment, suicidality
and death; and
Whereas, The World Profession for Transgender Health, Inc. (WPATH) is the
leading international, interdisciplinary professional organization devoted
to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders, and has
established internationally accepted Standards of Care for providing
medical treatment of people with GID, including mental health care, hormone
therapy, and sex reassignment surgery, which are designed to promote the
health and welfare of persons with GID and are recognized within the medical
community to be the standard of care for treating people with GID; and
Whereas, An established body of medical research demonstrates the
effectiveness and medical necessity of mental health care, hormone therapy,
and sex reassignment surgery as forms of therapeutic treatment for many
people diagnosed with GID; and
Whereas, Health experts in GID, including WPATH, have rejected the myth that
such treatments are “cosmetic” or “experimental” and have recognized that
these treatments can provide safe and effective treatment for a serious
health condition; and
Whereas, Physicians treating persons with GID must be able to provide the
correct treatment necessary for a patient in order to achieve genuine and
lasting comfort with his or her gender, based on the person’s individual
needs and medical history; and
Whereas, Our AMA opposes limitations placed on patient care by third-party
payers when such care is based upon sound scientific evidence and sound
medical opinion; and
Whereas, Many health insurance plans categorically exclude coverage of
mental health, medical, and surgical treatments for GID, even though many of
these same treatments, such as psychotherapy, hormone therapy, breast
augmentation or removal, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, and
salpingectomy, are often covered for other medical conditions; and
Whereas, The denial of these otherwise covered benefits for patients
suffering from GID represents discrimination based solely on a patient’s
gender identity; and
Whereas, Delaying treatment for GID can cause and/or aggravate additional
serious and expensive health problems, such as stress-related physical
illnesses, depression, and substance abuse problems, which further endanger
patients’ health and strain the health care system; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association support public and private
health insurance coverage for treatment of gender identity disorder as
recommended by the patient’s physician. (New HOD Policy).
posted Jun 20, 11:21 AM
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