Oregon will cover trans* youth under Medicaid

thevoicewithoutaface:

gaywrites:

Starting in October 2014, the Oregon Health Plan, working under Medicaid, will cover transition-related care for transgender or non-binary youth. The first policy of its kind, it will help Oregon families cover the often exorbitant costs of transition-related health care. 

According to PQ, services covered by the new health care plan will include not only mental health counseling and pediatric evaluation, but also medication, procedures, and follow-up care related to the suppression of puberty, which advocates say can often help trans youth avoid traumatic pubescent experiences that arise from a body that develops in conflict to the youth’s gender identity. 

“Pubertal suppression provides transgender adolescents the option of avoiding unwanted, irreversible, and deeply distressing changes that come with birth-sex pubertal development,” said TransActive executive director Jenn Burleton in a statement. “Far too often trans adolescents experience increased suicidal ideation as a result of these changes and the indifference of others about the impact these changes have on trans youth.”

Zam, this is kind of a huge deal. Major props to Oregon for being the first to reach this milestone. 

This is great. I can’t even imagine going to a hospital where the staff wasn’t able to help me because they aren’t trained in school about how to treat transgendered people. 

I had a friend a few years ago advocating for gender neutral bathrooms in hospitals. More things need to be done to make transgender people feel safe/okay in general. 

I have a student who asked to be called a different gender name than was on the roster. That’s amazing. Every one of my students is exactly the same in my eyes, I honestly just want them to enjoy the class.