It’s been a good week for health equity in New York!

Yesterday, New York State’s Department of Financial Services sent guidance to all commercial insurers in the state barring denials of medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a condition when a person’s identity at birth is different than who they know themselves to be on the inside. The guidance essentially says if an insurer covers a particular service (a double mastectomy, for example), the insurer can’t deny that service to a transgender person, purely on the basis of their gender identity.  Read our full press release here.

And earlier this week, the New York City Council voted to pass legislation that will allow trangender New Yorkers to change the sex on their birth certificate without providing proof of gender confirmation surgery. New York State made a similar policy change this past June. This legislation will help combat discrimination transgender New Yorkers might otherwise experience in healthcare access, as well as housing, employment, and other areas of their lives.

Equal access to health care for transgender people has been a key policy priority for HCFANY and its LGBT task force. These two policy victories signal important steps forward for the health of transgender New Yorkers.