Gender Surgery Beyond Chest and Genitals: Current Insurance Landscape

The document summarizes a study that analyzed insurance coverage for ancillary gender-affirming surgeries in the United States, beyond the more commonly covered genital and chest surgeries. The cross-sectional analysis included policies from 61 insurance companies and found that only one-third offered coverage for at least one ancillary procedure. Chondrolaryngoplasty was the most covered (26%, n = 16), while body masculinization was the least (8%, n = 5). The study identified four common medical necessity criteria for coverage: age, hormone therapy, living in a congruent gender role, and a referral from a mental health professional. The study concluded that coverage for ancillary gender surgeries is low and varies significantly, suggesting that reevaluation of these procedures as medically necessary and establishing clear coverage criteria could improve transgender patients' access to these important surgeries.