My old health insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, has stopped providing coverage for sexual reassignment surgery for trans folks. This move was (sadly) part of larger cutbacks in coverage, due to a $133 million dollar loss in the past year. However, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery only 100 to 500 sexual reassignment surgeries are performed annually in the United States. Even with costs ranging from seven to fifty thousand dollars (depending on what medical procedures are done), I doubt this was a huge line-item in the BCBSM budget. Considering that the vast majority of health insurance companies already deny coverage to trans folks, it’s disappointing to see one more bite the dust. Not cool Michigan.

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