WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) ruled today that “sex reassignment surgery” and other transition-related medical care should no longer be automatically excluded from coverage.
“As HHS appropriately points out, excluding coverage for transition-related surgery is unreasonable as viewed by the standards of the medical profession today – incomplete, unfair, and obsolete,” said SPARTA Policy Director, former Army Captain Allyson Robinson. “The application of scientifically proven, internationally recognized standards of care to recipients of Medicare is a step in the right direction.”
She continued, “As transgender service members continue to put themselves in harm’s way for our country, we look forward to the day when those same standards are applied to them. They’ve certainly earned it.”
SPARTA, an LGBT military organization, includes several hundred transgender members currently serving in uniform.
SPARTA is an association of LGBT people who currently serve or have served in the military, along with our families and our veteran and uniformed allies. We are a membership organization, built by, for and with members from all parts of the LGBT military community. SPARTA’s mission is to advocate for and support our actively serving LGBT military members and veterans, and their families.
The name originated from the acronym Servicemembers, Partners, and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All.
