Published May, 2014
Fact Sheet on Medicare Coverage of Transition-Related Care (2014)
In May 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Departmental Appeals Board declared that the exclusion of transgender care from Medicare was based on outdated, incomplete, and biased science, and did not reflect standards of care. The ruling effectively ended the policy of categorically excluding coverage for transition-related surgery regardless of medical need. This means that decisions about coverage for transition-related care will now be made on an individual basis like all other services under Medicare.
This factsheet, published by the National Center for Transgender Equality, answers questions on the scope and impact of the ruling for transgender people seeking medical care.
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