California Insurance Agency Penalized For Not Covering "Cosmetic Procedures" For "Gender Transitions"

christiannews.net

"WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — An insurance agency in California has been leveled with a $200,000 administrative penalty for declining to cover cosmetic procedures and other 'gender transition'-related services for seven patients in the state who identify as transgender.

The California Department of Managed Health Care recently sent a letter to Health Net to outline its findings following an investigation in regard to the company’s policies and practices surrounding “gender reassignment' surgeries.

'Between December 2013 and February 2015, the plan and/or its delegated medical groups denied requests from seven enrollees for medical services in relation to gender reassignment on the basis that the services were not covered benefits, in violation of the Insurance Gender Nondiscrimination Act of 2006,' the department wrote.

The cited state law prohibits insurance agencies from denying benefits to patients because of their gender identity. 

'As a result of the plan and/or its delegated medical groups’ denial, seven enrollees were denied health care services such as consultation, testosterone injections, gender reassignment surgery, bilateral mastectomy, and facial feminization surgery,' the letter noted."