IFWT_Transgender3

Looks like times are changing. Equality is on the rise for transgenders who wish to get sex change operations. The coverage of an operation which was once nationally barred for Medicare patients is now in the hands of regional administrators after the national policy against paying for these operations was overturned on Friday by a federal board.

Sammkayyy

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesperson Aaron Albright says that CMS will carry out this decision with Medicare Administrative Contractors who may cover these procedures under a case-by-case basis or under a local coverage determination which will be “based on clinical evidence to determine medical appropriateness.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) released a joint statement in response to the revolutionary move that said:

“The removal of the exclusion of coverage for surgical care for Medicare recipients means that individuals will not automatically have claims of coverage for gender transition-related surgeries denied. They should either get coverage or, at a minimum, receive an individualized review of the medical need for the specific procedure they seek, just like anyone seeking coverage for any other medical treatment.”

The National Gay And Lesbian Task Force had this to add:

“The dominoes are falling rapidly.”

SOURCE: CNN