Transsexual Surgery May Be Covered By Medicare

On May 30, 2014, after accepting evidence that transsexual surgical treatment (i.e., the surgical procedures used for treatment of gender dysphoria) is effective and medically accepted in appropriate cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lifted a longstanding ban on use of Medicare funds for transsexual surgeries. Service provision, though, will be subject to Local Coverage Determination. This is a major step in a decades-long struggle to provide medically necessary care for gender-variant people whose gender dysphoria would be best treated with gender affirming surgical procedures. The term "transsexual surgery" refers to those procedures, and is used in this article for consistency with the language of the HHS decision.