GLMA Digest

HHS Lifts Medicare Ban on Gender-Affirming Surgery

NY State DOH Removes Gender-Affirming Surgery Requirement for Birth Certificate Change

President Obama Issues Proclamation Declaring June LGBT Pride Month
Documentary: Just Gender
Publication: Addressing Healthcare Disparities in the LGBT Population: A Review of Best Practices
Resource: Best Practices in HIV Prevention
Call for Papers: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Washington to Lift Exclusions for Transgender Care for State Employee Insurance Plans
According to this June 2, 2014, Olympian article, in response to testimony by advocates, the Washington state Public Employees Benefits Board recently announced it is considering requiring health insurance plans for state employees and retirees to cover transgender services by January 2016. The board is also considering removing specific exclusions for coverage for hormone treatment and other care before 2016. While advocates applaud the move, they hope the change will be fully implemented before 2016. “I personally know a number of Washington state employees who need transgender health benefits. It seems that the 18-month time line … (is) awfully long from our point of view,” said Bobbi Dalley, MD, associate professor of radiology at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. “These people are suffering now and could use healthcare.”

Bobbi Dalley, MD, serves as Treasure on GLMA’s Board of Directors.

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HHS Lifts Medicare Ban on Gender-Affirming Surgery
As reported in the Washington Post on May 30, 2014, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lifted Medicare’s 1981 ban on gender-affirming surgeries after an independent board reviewed the past three decades of research and found the bases for the exclusion are “not reasonable” anymore. Prior to the lifting of the ban, Medicare had claimed the surgeries were “experimental” and denied any and all requests for coverage. As noted in the article, the ruling is likely to put pressure on more health insurers to provide this coverage as well. (This item is in follow up to an item on this topic included in the previous (May 12, 2014) edition of the LGBT Health Digest.)

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NY State DOH Removes Gender-Affirming Surgery Requirement for Birth Certificate Change
As reported in this June 5, 2014, Out article, the New York State Department of Health issued updated guidelines which no longer require a transgender individual to undergo surgery to change the gender marker on their birth certificate. Five other states and the District of Columbia have already made this change. As noted in the article, the World Health Organization recently issued a report urging governments to remove the surgical requirement for legal gender recognition.

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President Obama Issues Proclamation Declaring June LGBT Pride Month On May 30, 2014, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring June LGBT Pride Month. “Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,” President Obama said. “And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.” Click here to read the full proclamation.

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Documentary: Just Gender Just Gender, a new documentary that will begin screenings in major US cities in conjunction with Pride month, tackles the all too often misunderstood world of transgender. Although Just Gender utilizes some archival footage and stills, it is largely built on a series of original footage and interviews of transgendered persons, their family members and friends, healthcare experts, community leaders and others who work with the transgender community. The film explores the common myths and misunderstandings about transgendered people. It also explores the confusion between sexual orientation and gender identity, as reflected in the rigid binary view of the world generally held by society.

GLMA Board Member Gal Mayer, MD, was interviewed for the film and included in a clip available here. To learn more about the film and watch the trailer, click here.

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Publication: Addressing Healthcare Disparities in the LGBT Population: A Review of Best Practices The healthcare needs of people who are LGBT have received significant attention from policymakers in the last several years. Recent reports from the Institute of Medicine, Healthy People 2020 and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have all highlighted the need for such long-overdue attention. The healthcare disparities that affect this population are closely tied to sexual and social stigma. Furthermore, LGBT people aren't all alike; an understanding of the various subgroups and demographic factors is vital to providing patient-centered care. This American Journal of Nursing article by Fidelindo Lim, DNP, RN, explores LGBT health issues and healthcare disparities, and offers recommendations for best practices based on current evidence and standards of care. The article examines gaps in curriculum, health promotion efforts and cultural competency. Click here to read more.

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Resource: Best Practices in HIV Prevention The National LGBT Health Education Center published “Best Practices in HIV Prevention: Translating Innovation into Action.” This PDF brief combines expert recommendations with links to over 3.5 hours of video education. Continuing education credits are available. This report follows a summit of 15 experts convened in Boston to discuss the most innovative and evidence-based HIV prevention strategies and how to implement these strategies into clinical practice. Participants included leaders in HIV prevention research, education, policy, and community engagement. The meeting covered interventions, professional experiences, and research findings, and included a debate about next best steps to ending the epidemic among the vulnerable populations of gay and bisexual men and transgender women. Click here to access this resource.

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Call for Papers: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal, is planning a special issue with a section devoted to understudied populations, including the LGBTQ community. Sexual and reproductive health services are most effective when tailored to the specific circumstances of particular populations. To that end, much research and programmatic effort has gone toward understanding the behaviors and service needs of teenagers, members of racial and ethnic minority groups and socioeconomically disadvantaged men and women. Other groups, however, have received less attention: individuals with disabilities, incarcerated persons, homeless men and women, military personnel and transgender people, to name but a few. The December 2015 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health will include a special section devoted to exploring the sexual and reproductive health needs of understudied populations—those mentioned above and others whose distinctive situations have been largely overlooked in the literature and in the policy and service arenas. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2015. Click here for more information and the guidelines for submissions.

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GLMA’s LGBT Health Digest is an electronic newsletter with information and resources for health professionals concerned about the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations.

The Digest highlights issues, events, publications and other newsworthy items pertinent to LGBT health. Please feel free to circulate the Digest to your colleagues.

To sign up, send your request to digest@glma.org.