Private Sector Implementation of Transgender-Inclusive Health Insurance Coverage
Since 2004, the HRC Foundation has asked employers whether they offer transgender health benefits without exclusion as part of its annual Corporate Equality Index survey. In 2008, 78 employers indicated that they provided insurance coverage without exclusion to their transgender employees for the purposes of medically supervised gender transitions; these employers had an average of 40,000 employees. Large corporations such as American Express, Eastman Kodak, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and Nike provide health benefits covering mental health counseling, hormone therapy, medical visits and surgical procedures, in addition to short-term leave for treatments related to gender transition or reassignment.
These employers are leading the way for others to provide insurance by exploring different options and methods of providing coverage. For example, IBM took a thoughtful and unique approach by bringing Dr. Marci Bowers, a leading male-to-female sex reassignment surgeon, into the company’s network of in-plan providers. Additionally, HRC is aware of some employers that have provided travel benefits for treatment by experienced professionals otherwise unavailable where the employee lives.
