Transgender New Yorkers should now have a greater chance of getting medical services covered by insurance.
New York State has issued a letter that says insurance companies cannot deny a claim because a consumer identifies as a gender not typically associated with a service. This letter comes from the state Department of Financial Services after it got word that some health insurance companies were denying claims from transgender consumers.
The denials were happening, according to the DFS, because the gender that consumers identified as, did not match the gender typically associated with a treatment or procedure. Examples of this are services like screenings for cervical or prostate cancer.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that health insurance companies cannot discriminate or deny coverage based on gender identity. The letter specifically calls for insurance companies to request more information from a patient before denying a claim.
In December the state health department said that Medicaid plans are required to cover hormone therapy for consumers under 18 years old and gender reassignment surgery for those over 18.
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