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ACLU advocates for trans Colo. man

Resident saddled with debt after insurance ruling

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transgender, caduceus, medicare, gay news, Washington Blade, health, gender reassignment
Transgender Center of Excellence, gender dysphoria, transgender, caduceus, medicare, gay news, Washington Blade, health

NEW YORK — The ACLU has asked the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to review the complaint of a man who was denied access to health care. 

Dashir Moore, a transgender man from Georgia, wanted a fresh start in life. So at the age of 31, he packed up and moved to Colorado, a state that offered both a great lifestyle and trans healthcare. He hoped he could finally be himself, the ACLU announced in a press release. 

Things went well at first. Almost immediately after Dashir arrived in Colorado, he was able to update the gender marker on his driver’s license. He got a job as a customer service rep.

Then he scheduled chest surgery. No stranger to our byzantine insurance system, Dashir called his benefits line to check if the procedure was covered and was told it would be. He also confirmed that he didn’t need prior authorization before the surgery.

But shortly after the surgery, he found out his insurance would not pay for the procedure and he soon found himself saddled with medical debt and out of a job.

Two days afterthe surgery, his care coordinator called and told him that his insurance company had refused to pay after all. Dashir learned that his employer had selected a health insurance plan that excludes medical expenses incurred for “Gender Transition: Treatment, drugs, medicine, services and supplies for, or leading to, gender transition surgery.” Dashir began to receive bills from the hospital, which eventually totaled almost $30,000. His anxiety skyrocketed and Dashir couldn’t continue to work.

Insurance carve-outs for transition-related care are illegal. But as Dashir learned the hard way, that hasn’t stopped some from continuing to deny transgender people the care they need. Here’s the truth about transition-related health care.

Myth: Transition-related care is optional.

Reality: Transition-related care is anything but optional.

Many transgender people experience gender dysphoria, the medical term for incongruence between a person’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth where such incongruence results in clinically significant distress. Medically accepted standards of care for gender dysphoria include social transition, hormone treatment and surgery. The goal of treatment for gender dysphoria is to alleviate distress by helping patients live in accordance with their gender identity. In Dashir’s case, medically necessary care for his gender dysphoria included surgery to remove breast tissue and create a male chest.

If not addressed, gender dysphoria places patients at great risk for depression, anxiety, self-injury and suicide.  In other words, failure to treat gender dysphoria can mean the difference between life and death.

Myth: Insurers don’t have to cover transition-related care.

Reality: Insurers can’t deny patients otherwise covered services because they are part of gender transition.

Insurers can limit coverage to care that is medically necessary, but they can’t deny medically necessary care based on who a patient is. For example, the surgery Dashir needed — a mastectomy — is routinely covered by insurance companies to treat patients with cancer or a genetic predisposition to cancer, such as the BRCA genes. But Dashir was denied coverage for the same procedure because he is transgender and needed it to treat his gender dysphoria. That’s discrimination.

Myth: Coverage for transition-related care is too expensive.

Reality: Coverage for transition-related care costs just pennies per insured.

Opponents of transgender equality, including President Trump have used cost to justify denying transgender people medically necessary care, but their objections don’t stand up to scrutiny. An expert hired to defendthe state of Wisconsin’s exclusion for transition-related care recentlyestimated the cost of coverage would be between four and 10 cents per insured per month. That represents less than 0.1 percent of overall medical costs.

It’s hard to imagine Wisconsin claiming it was justified in denying medical coverage for treatment for other conditions, like depression or diabetes, to save pennies per month, yet that’s exactly what it did in denying coverage for transition-related care. That sends a deeply disturbing message about the value placed on transgender people’s lives.

Dashir may be down, but he’s not out. Together with the ACLU, he filed a charge of discrimination against his former employer to end the discriminatory denial of health care. We’re standing with Dashir and transgender people across the country so that all of us have the freedom to be who we are.

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Health

UNAIDS to commemorate Zero Discrimination Day’s 10th anniversary

UN agency urges global action to protect human rights

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A UNAIDS anti-discrimination exhibit at Tocumen International Airport in Panama in 2018. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

As the world marks the 10th anniversary of Zero Discrimination Day; UNAIDS is sounding the alarm on the increasing threats to human rights, calling for renewed efforts to protect the rights of all individuals as a fundamental step towards ensuring health for everyone.

Established by UNAIDS a decade ago, Zero Discrimination Day aims to promote equality and fairness regardless of gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity or HIV status. The progress achieved over the past years is now in jeopardy, however, due to rising attacks on the rights of women, LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima emphasized the critical link between protecting human rights and safeguarding public health. 

“The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health,” she said in a press release. “Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030. It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health.”

Despite challenges, there has been notable progress. 

At the onset of the AIDS pandemic more than 40 years ago, two-thirds of countries criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. They are now decriminalized in two-thirds of countries. An additional 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, contributing to positive changes that include 50 million more girls attending school compared to 2015.

To sustain and enhance these advancements; UNAIDS urges global support for women’s rights movements, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and peace initiatives. By standing with communities advocating for their rights, the U.N. aims to reinforce the collective effort towards a more inclusive and equitable world.

Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1.

Events and activities that will take place around the world throughout the month will serve as reminders of the essential lesson and call to action: Protecting everyone’s health is synonymous with protecting everyone’s rights.

“Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a safer, fairer, kinder and happier world — for everyone,” said Byanyima.

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Health

New CDC report finds transgender women at higher risk for HIV

More than 1,600 people in seven cities surveyed

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (Photo courtesy of the CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new study report this week that revealed that restricted by employment and housing discrimination and lack of access to needed gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women increasing the risk of contracting HIV. 

Researchers reviewed data from a 2019-2020 survey, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Among Transgender Women, which found that the demographics of HIV/AIDS have been disproportionally high, especially among Black and Latina trans women, who had experienced employment and housing discrimination coupled with lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare.

The Jan. 25 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was based on data studies of more than 1,600 trans women in seven major urban locales. Participants from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle were chosen by referrals from people and community-based organizations who knew or were part of the local population of trans women.

The study’s researchers noted: “Employment discrimination occurs at the overlapping nexus of poverty, homelessness, incarceration, health insurance, disability, food insecurity and survival sex work. These issues are interconnected.”

The study stated that trans women’s inability to access quality healthcare, including gender-affirming treatment or access to PrEP, and can expose them to potential incarceration as many turn to “survival sex work” and violence, which increases the risk of contracting HIV. 

The study’s author’s pointed out: “When economically marginalized transgender women are refused employment, this refusal cyclically contributes to economic hardships. This analysis …demonstrates the importance of transgender women working and living with dignity and without fear of unfair treatment.”

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Health

A Whole New Perspective on Well-Being

The Mather’s team recognizes that everyone’s wellness journey is completely unique to their life experiences and influences.

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The Mather is incorporating biophilic design—a design approach to facilitate access to nature or things that replicate natural patterns.

It’s easy to spot the distinctive, elegant silhouette of The Mather, a Life Plan Community for those 62+ opening this spring in Tysons, Virginia. What is not apparent to the naked eye is The Mather’s unique wellness philosophy, which is literally built into the community. 

The Mather’s team recognizes that everyone’s wellness journey is completely unique to their life experiences and influences.

Nature is one of the important factors that contribute to well-being. So The Mather is incorporating biophilic design—a design approach to facilitate access to nature or things that replicate natural patterns. This can include interior spaces with sightlines to a garden, choosing natural wood and stone as interior materials, or incorporating fragrant flowers and plants indoors to spark memories and provide tactile opportunities such as gardening. 

Residents of The Mather will be able to select from plentiful amenities, programs, and other offerings to target their personal wellness goals and preferences.

“Providing biophilic design within interior settings connects residents to the natural world,” says Mary Leary, CEO and President of Mather, the organization behind The Mather. “Research shows that a connection to nature provides positive benefits to mental states and overall well-being. At The Mather, biophilic design is the intersection of buildings and programs with nature in an urban setting.”

“The Mather is attracting a diverse group of older adults,” says Mary. “As a result, we aim to incorporate wellness practices from around the world, including Wyda movement theory of the Celtic Druids, which helps people achieve harmony with nature and contentment through mindfulness.” This holistic regenerative approach is similar to Qi Gong and yoga, while born in a different part of the world. Mather Institute has a special focus on mindfulness to support older adults’ practice of present moment awareness, which can lead to increased overall well-being, compassion, and joy.

A very different example of a wellness offering at The Mather is the Gharieni Welnamis spa wave bed, which uses computer-controlled vibrational therapy and audio frequencies to train the brain to relax. “The bed increases mindfulness, concentration, and creativity—all of which support our mission of creating Ways to Age Well,SM” says Mary.

These and other personalized ways to wellness will ensure that residents of The Mather can choose from seemingly countless ways to focus on their well-being. In other words, the sky’s the limit!

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