This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from the Center for American Progress answers common questions about health insurance needs for transgender people. Transgender people have one of the highest rates of being uninsured in the U.S., and those that are insured are often denied medically necessary health care services. While most of the health care that transgender individuals need are routine and similar to all other Americans (preventive screening, acute care, chronic care), there are some health care services that are specific to one’s gender identity or gender transition.
The American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health have all found that these gender transition-related health care services, including mental health services, hormone therapy, and surgery, are medically necessary for transgender people.
A growing number of health insurance plans do offer transgender-inclusive coverage, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare. Unfortunately, these plans do not offer this coverage in all markets and all regions. The overwhelming majority of health insurance plans have transgender-specific exclusions that explicitly deny coverage for medically necessary health care for transgender people.
Ignatius Bau 