She still looks like a man. Or a real manly woman. I would rather be a man than look like a manly woman. Having a little facial hair is bad enough as a woman on your self esteem. I could not imagine trying to pass off as a woman but looking that much like a man.

"It" looks like a man to me... Gross..

I am sorry - you want this pay extra... Some one who smokes pays extra - both are personal choices I shouldn't pay for...

This is totally stupid and outrageous. Of all the surgeries possible, what could be more ELECTIVE!?

You want to mutilate your body, YOU pay for it!

No wonder health insurance is so expensive!

Great way to reduce costs!!!!!

Sounds like the liberal agenda is within the Healthcare bill.

What is next free medical pot, cocaine, estacy???

But If I want Ceramic fillings in my teeth that is cosmetic?!?!?!?

This is elective surgery and should in no way be covered under regular group insurance.

If you want to change your gender, fine. YOU pay for it. The rest of us shouldn't have to.

I want my lipo, my facelift (and all other lifts available) because this is pure stupidity. And if she/he has had anything done, still looks like a man.

I don't think this is a liberal agenda. Please read all the comments on here. Post except those written by clearly transgender folks are against it. I don't think the liberals like this much either. Please quit assuming that everything that is disagreeabe to you is part of the liberal agenda.

I have to agree with the original poster here. This is an immense waste of money. I'm guessing it's a PR win for the insurance company as the number of people requesting this surgery has got to be low.

All in all, I would rather see the money being used in more of a life saving capacity than that of a lifestyle change capacity.

I wonder if those innercity white kids who sound and act like innercity black kids could go in and have surgery to make them black? Maybe they are just a black kid stuck in a white kids body?

Then the question is if someone did do this, would they be able to legally claim that they were black?

My wife, who is asian, used to joke about this for me (white) when we lived in asia. That I should go and have surgery to make myself look more asian, so we did not get so many stares. Made me wonder if I did that could I claim to be asian?

I do not see any difference between this and a guy who has some surgery to make themselves look more female and then saying that they are female. Nope, they are still male, just had surgery to make themselves appear more female.

Not that I am against it. If it makes them feel better about themselves, then fine, but they need to pay for it.

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE!

It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HEALTH CARE INTIATIVE. This is about a few companies who offer this elective care to their emplyees though a comercial care company!

It has NOTHING to do with Liberals unless you think Wells Fargo Bank (of theives) is a liberal organization, key word here BANK.

I no longer do business with WFB for other reasons, if you're bothered about this stop dealing with them too.

Ridiculous is right! This is unbelievable, as if health care costs are high enough already...be the sex God intended you to be....

I am soooo happy that you can get your insurance to pay for you to have your WEINER INVERTED, while the rest of us have to jump hurdles to get seen for simple basic services.

I am so glad that they have included the names of the companies who allow this "procedure" I will not be doing business with them,

also I am a lesbian trapped in a mans body what ever shall I do;-)

Hey Tired of It- Don't you know by now that if something is completely out of the norm, unheard of, a little brow-rising and could lead to the ultimate destruction of America, it can be directly connected to the liberals and thus, blamed on Obama, Pelosi, Clinton, Carter- whoever. People shouldn't be expected to read.... I encourage all to take this test to determine if something comes from the liberal agenda: If you don't like liberals and if something you read, see or hear makes you mad- it came from the liberals. If you are a liberal and...., well never mind, you're probably just sitting around, getting high and thinking of ways to destroy America.

I am a woman who has what they call an Andric body. That means I am not curvy, nor breasty. I am long-legged and broad shouldered.

I think like a man. I am logical and analytical. I am athletic.I am mechanically inclined. I would prefer to live by myself out where they have to pipe in daylight.

I have been married twice. Although I enjoy sex, I don't get much out of it. I can't relax, so why lead a man on? I am comfortable in my skin. I know people who would rather deal with a woman who doesn't vapor, squall or ball her way through life manipulating people as I go. I tell people what I can do and what I will or won't do.

I don't think Gender "reassignment" surgery should be paid for. I have bad kidneys. Why should I deal with kidneys I can't get replaced, but someone with Flipped Gender can get surgically altered and the employees who don't want it have to pay for it?

It's SO easy for those of you who put down this surgery since none of you have walked in the shoes of someone with a gender disorder. I'm not one of those people, but I can sympathize with someone who was born in a male body with a female brain...it's extremely difficult to function. Again, this has NOTHING to do with our health care....this is an insurance company decision. It also is NOT a liberal idea. Again, until you've walked in someone's shoes with this disorder, your rants are ridiculous and show a high level of stupidity and rudeness. It amazes me that so many people have so little compassion for their fellow men/women. That's what this country is coming to....and that's sad.

Intelligent one 411352-

RIGHT ON!

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to be as stupid and make hasty generalizations like everyone else on here... you're all religious nutcases and think being gay is a choice don't you?

And to the guy that was talking about liposuction, that would actually probably damage your health, though maybe not more than being a fat arse that can't get up a half an hour a day to do some exercise.

Damned right wing private insurers and capitalists banks!

I have to say I'm fairly shocked to see the level of vitriol coming from people here. None of you know the first thing about what transgender people go through, and yet you seem to feel qualified to not only condemn the idea of them getting equal treatment, but judge them as sick as well.

Do your homework... learn a thing or two... isn't that why you come here? Learn even one or two facts about the condition before you go condemning it. Then if you still feel that way you will at least be speaking an informed opinion instead of the current level of extreme ignorance.

transgendered people suffer from self loathing and are delusional nothing more,...no one is "born in the wrong body"...you are born in the body you are born with...it is neither right or wrong....sex reassignment surgery is self mutilation, and self hate....anyone, who thinks this nonsense is ok,...including doctors who perform these atrocities,.. are guilty of facilitating the neurosis of the mentally ill....

instead of mutilating people...why not just teach these individuals to learn to love themselves and the bodies they were born with, through proper therapy,,.....but that takes real work....and people are LAZY...they would rather just ignore any ethical or moral concerns of these procedures and pretend that they are actually helping these people...when in fact they are doing them a great disservice.

Countrygirl 78, I got an ole 76 year buddy who came home 3 in the morning to a pissed off 300 pound 54 year ole wife. She started bitchin at him and he told her in a women didn't have the womenly attributes, she wouldn't even make a man a good friend. She beat da hell out of that ole gizzer!LOL! If your a man trapped in a womens body who enjoys sex, I would think most men would love a buddy like that!

transgendered people suffer from self loathing and are delusional nothing more,...no one is "born in the wrong body"...you are born in the body you are born with...it is neither right or wrong....sex reassignment surgery is self mutilation

Oh really? Who elected you to make this conclusion? I assume you've interviewed each and every transgender person exhaustively to back up this claim?

When did you decide to be gay? I find it amazing that someone who can say they were born gay can have the cojones to say another person cannot be born trans.

Azzix, You talk about sex reassignment surgery on transgender people as if it were a exact science or medical procedure. Especially when you refer to"equal treatment",as compared to what? First off,there is a phsycological problem that is remedied with permanent surgery. Since you did your homework you should be aware that there is a high suicide rate of patients after surgery. Some that are " cash in hand" ready for the procedure are regected during pre-op screening. In any case this is a very costly medical expense which for whatever reason Wells/Fargo has made available. Who knows? They're regulated by the Fed,the more they spend,the more can they charge. The problem is there are alot of sick children with incureable diseases that the $$ would do better spent on research. I know this is off the subject. However,the equal treatment you are demanding is for a group of people who are physically healthy. And no Azzix,we do not come to Newsvine to learn because everyone here knows it all,we come here to bitch!

I am sympathetic to the plight of transgender, however it is still an elective surgery. I do not feel it is fair for transgender patients to get special treatment, which this is. Many women who have had breast cancer can't get reconstructive surgery and there are people who need prosthetics which not all insurance companies cover.

Azzix, You talk about sex reassignment surgery on transgender people as if it were a exact science or medical procedure. Especially when you refer to"equal treatment",as compared to what?

Having reviewed what I've written, it is unclear to me how I'm referring to anything as an "exact science". When I refer to equal treatment I mean just that -- for transgender people to be accorded the same levels of respect, tolerance, understanding, compassion and treatment that you yourself would expect, or that any minority in entitled to.

First off,there is a phsycological problem that is remedied with permanent surgery. Since you did your homework you should be aware that there is a high suicide rate of patients after surgery.

There is comparatively very little literature on post-operative cases when set against the population at large. Here is a small sampling of studies; they universally show improvement in the conditions of those people who undergo reassignment. I know of no study that compares post-operative suicide rates to pre-operative ones, so I would appreciate a cite to the study that supports your assertion. In the meantime I will ask some of my colleagues if they know of any.

• Randell JB: Preoperative and postoperative status of male and female transsexuals, in Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment Surgery. Edited by Green R. Money J. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1969
• Walinder J, Thuwe I: A Social Psychiatric Follow-up Study of 24 Sex Reassigned Transsexuals. Copenhagen, Scandinavian University Books, 1974
• Lothstein L: Psychotherapy with patients with gender dysphoric syndromes. Bull Menninger Clin 41:563-582, 1977
• Arieff A: Five year studies of transsexuals: psychiatric, psychological and surgical aspects, in Proceedings of the Second Interdisciplinary Symposium on Gender Dysphoria Syndromes. Edited by Laub D, Gandy P. Stanford, University of California Press, 1973
• Biber S: Surgical experience and follow-up of 100 transsexual cases, in Proceedings of the Fifth Interdisciplinary Symposium on Gender Dysphoria Syndromes. Norfolk. Va, University of Eastern Virginia, Medical School, 1977
• Sturup GK: Male transsexuals: a long-term follow-up after sex reassignment operations. Acta Psychiatr Scand 53:51-63, 1976

The problem is there are alot of sick children with incureable diseases that the $$ would do better spent on research.

So then let's stop treating people with heart disease so we can spend more money on the children. Tell ya what, what conditions do you have? Since you're so willing to throw transpeople under the bus, set an example and the next time you need treatment, pay for it out of your own pocket and tell the insurance companies to send the money to cancer research for kids.

Unless you are willing to forgo your own treatment,your assertion is not only hypocritical, you are presuming to make a decision for others that is not yours to make.

However,the equal treatment you are demanding is for a group of people who are physically healthy.

If "physical health" is your standard for coverage, then do you advocate we stop covering all mental health visits under our insurance plans? Is mental health unimportant in your world?

And no Azzix,we do not come to Newsvine to learn because everyone here knows it all,we come here to bitch!

Well... um, ok, you got me on this one.

This surgery is an abomination of nature and we who pay for insurance should

not have our rates go up because of them.

I am sympathetic to the plight of transgender, however it is still an elective surgery. I do not feel it is fair for transgender patients to get special treatment, which this is.

If it were in fact elective I would agree with you. For those transpeople who undergo the procedures, it is not. It is the result of a long and heartfelt process and multiple years of therapy. Nobody encourages trans individuals to have these procedures; they do it because they feel there is no other choice.

That is in any sense the definition of "elective". In the large majority of cases these procedures create a profound improvement in the patient's outlook.

My rates scream enough because of the people that willingly destroy their own bodies with alcohol and all the other drugs they willingly destroy their bodies with. My rates scream enough as it is because of the jobs they work that require them to be absorbed in carcinogenic materials every day of their lives and then decide I should have to pay because of their bad job choices. My rates scream because of the bad eating habits they have that lead to obesity and every other disease their bodies acquire because of their lousy eating habits. My rates go crazy because of a great many things that are elective by almost ach and every person on here that whines because of their rates and what they perceive to be elective. My rates scream just because the shareholders need to see a growth as well as the corporate heads need a bonus. Those rates have and will continue to rise regardless of who is getting what they need done or not done.

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those.

Where do you come up with these ridiculous notions Zip? The notion that this care is coming at the expense of others? That transgender people are not deserving of the same care you are? That transgender people change gender to "get another man"?

Cost.. cost .. cost...

Lies...

come out and say what you really want to say... you think we're perverted and have no right to quality life...

I'm sick of the "cost" argument... too few transgendered people compared to the MASSES of "normal" people creates minimal percentage costs....

come out and say what you really want to say... you think we're perverted and have no right to quality life...

You have the right to whatever quality of life you are willing to pay for out of your own pocket. Transgender surgery, boobjobs, penis enlargements or implants, etc etc shouldn't fall upon the shareholders as being responsible to pay. This is nothing more than a politically correct CON-GAME going on here!

I'm sick of the "cost" argument... too few transgendered people compared to the MASSES of "normal" people creates minimal percentage costs....

That''s like saying since more people die of heart disease than cancer then we should give more people cancer! STUPID argument!

Cost.. cost .. cost...

Not everybody drives a Porsche or goes to Harvard nor can they afford to!

Than you can pay for all their surgeries!

Is childbirth a "needed surgery" or a boon to the stock holder? In what way does a woman having a child add to the productivity of the workplace? Yet, almost all companies offer insurance coverage in the same amount as many people's annual salary for this "unnecessary" procedure. Just as trans-gender people have lived without reassignment surgeries in past history, mothers have had babies without hospitals, or lost their jobs due to having one. Childbirth coverage and accommodations have changed over time as society has become more enlightened. Procreation is considered an unarguable individual right, and as a result company-paid insurance is going to pay $30,000+ for a childbirth hospitalization. The costs of gender reassignment surgery are equal to or lower than childbirth cost as I understand it, and in the long term probably have a better affect on worker productivity. The woman in the article mentions being happier and more productive as a result of her surgery; how many mothers so you know who had their birth covered by insurance only to quit work a few months later?

TransGender- you don't get it. Yes, this suurgery might make me feel better, and that is good. We all want people to feel better. But you know what would make me feel better? If my insurance would pay for a personal trainer to get me in shape, if maybe they would pay for some collagen injections to help with the wrinkles so I don't feel so alienated from the youthful crowds I feel akin to. Maybe if they would pay for a visit to the salon so I could be a blonde- I always thought I would have an easier time socially if I were just blonde. I would also be more emotinally stable because I would be prettier and feel better. Does that make sense to you that insurance pay for this? It is great that this woman went down to get a medical procedure that made her feel better. Kudos to her. It just really is kind of a frivolous thing though- to drive up insurance premiums, etc., for this type of thing.

Trans,

yes, I think you are disgusting and sick. HOWEVER, that has nothing to do with the cost argument. It IS valid. If insurance was gonna cover my hot 23 year old neighbors boob job, I would still make that argument. What is considered "needed" in this country is rediculous.

Hey, if you can afford it out of your own pocket, fine, knock yourself out. live and let live. but don't make me pay for your gluttonous expenditures

and of course the AMA supports it...their members are getting rich(er) off of it.

Sasha, what are you even trying to get across? I don't think childbirth comes any where near transgender operations. Do you have a point here we are missing?

I agree. Sasha what ever are you going on about???

For those of you who are not enlightened....I think Sasha was trying to make a point. Obviously, you didn't "get it."

interesting that my posts defending the ARTICLE are collapsed.. but outright insults and gender slurrs are not...

pretty good example of the hate filled mind set of this group.

I'm done ... hate all you want.. but I pay my premiums and have for over 30 years.. with little in return... I should be entitled to monies I have generated over this time.

yes, I think you are disgusting and sick.

Why? Do you know anything about her? Do you know anything about transgenderism? Do you also think homosexuals are sick? I'm just curious to know if you're a run of the mill bigot or if you're a selective one.

You have the right to whatever quality of life you are willing to pay for out of your own pocket.

Why should you get to have your procedures covered and not her? This is not a popularity contest; this is a simple judgment of fairness. She pays he premiums just like you do.

That''s like saying since more people die of heart disease than cancer then we should give more people cancer! STUPID argument!

Ummm... no it's not. It is not even close, but I won't insult you by calling your analogy stupid. It is saying that there are so few transgender people who would need coverage that the costs of covering them all would be inconsequential. Therefore, any argument against coverage that appeals to the cost of these procedures is invalid.

TransGender- you don't get it. Yes, this suurgery might make me feel better, and that is good. We all want people to feel better. But you know what would make me feel better? If my insurance would pay for a personal trainer to get me in shape

Actually, it is you that doesn't get it, and this post proves you don't have a clue as to what they go through if you think a personal trainer somehow equates to the procedures required for a gender reassignment on any level. It's fine if you don't understand; you aren't equipped to understand transgenderism anymore than a blind man is equipped to understand a rainbow.

I cannot speak for you, but in general most people dislike commenting on things they don't understand and keep their mouths shut until they do understand.

Oh, I know all about not fitting in, darling.....I know about feeling rejected, emotinally hurt, and like I just don't want to keep on keeping on- I know what is like to not want to work or go to school because I feel so hideous...most people do know what that is like. Something on your body that makes getting along in life very difficult is something a lot of us are familar with. I know all about this- I could write books my friend. I have bypassed drug therapy to cope and instead have spent my time and energy to see myself as God sees me- a beautiful creation.

I know a few transgender people and they all seem relatively happy. They are going to school and everyone knows they are transgender, but I see them with a lot of friends because a lot of people don't care. If you are a woman trapped in a man's body- you are most likely gay and I live in redneckville and most people even here are OK with that. I also have been to a rave or gay bar in the past where I saw a many man dressing more femnine than most gals in the place- they were incredible and happy- they were having a better time than most folks in the place. My point is that this woman probably is not going to be fixed my this surgery-probably needs counseling too. It would be interesting to do a follow-up study. I think most people can find beauty in someone that loves themself and appreciates who they are.

No, I am not transgeneder, but I know about rejection, and I know about struggling to afford insurance because of all the frivolous claims, lawsuits, undercovered-uncovered folks that my premium also has to cover.

Oh, by the way, I knew blind men who completely understood a rainbow- probably more than anyone I knew. Don't get the treehugger started on blind men understanding rainbows-

i have a friend who thinks he is a dog,,... are they going to cover the sugery he wants to make himself look more like a dog?....we should not be in the business of facilitating delusions....and promote self mutilation.

Oh, I know all about not fitting in, darling.....I know about feeling rejected, emotinally hurt, and like I just don't want to keep on keeping on- I know what is like to not want to work or go to school because I feel so hideous...most people do know what that is like.

Fair enough; I can allow you know what rejection is like. You don't know what transgender rejection is like. The average US suicide rate is 3 people per 100,000. The transgender suicide rate is 31%. THIRTY ONE PERCENT. Think of all of the times you were rejected, and multiply it by roughly one thousand.

My point is that this woman probably is not going to be fixed my this surgery-probably needs counseling too.

All people who undergo gender reassignment surgery are required to live at least one year in the opposite gender and have letters of recommendations from two different therapists. Nobody does this lightly.

It would be interesting to do a follow-up study.

I agree.

i have a friend who thinks he is a dog,,... are they going to cover the sugery he wants to make himself look more like a dog?....we should not be in the business of facilitating delusions....and promote self mutilation.

Wow... your level of disrespect is heartbreaking. At least treehugger is making a sincere argument.

Your claims of delusion and self-mutilation are in direct contradiction to the entire medical establishment. Convince them.

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

your hatred is far more sick than any compassion offered by people. Get over yourself.

You're not very tolerant of an opposing belief are you Trans?

Trans: 'Get over yourself'???? Obviously you cannot get over YOURSELF! Hatred more sick than compassion?? DUH, ya think??

I can't get insurance to pay for corrective eye surgery, but you think having a guys n#%s chopped off is OK to be covered? I think you need to get over yourself, cause in all your posts that seems to be all that matters.

This is just the first step from the land of fruits and nuts to get this type of situation included in a comprehensive health bill 'shoved down our throats' (to paraphrase Nancy Pelosi, Queen of LA LA land out there). That's exactly how it works, next time this comes up somewhere else, a Lawyer will go before a judge and use this instance to get the 'elective' surgery paid for by the tax payers because it is for a 'minority' group that never learned to live with themselves.

@Jason - Trans wasn't being intolerant of an opposing believe, they were responding to a statement of hatred; "This country is sick!" I'd love to hear why this country is sick, according to Lonesome.

What one person feels is "absurd" is incredibly important to others. Some examples, and the responses (using the same wonderful attitude that so many other people on here are using....)

Weight loss surgery? "Why don't you just get off your fat ass and work out!"

Anti-Smoking agents? "You shouldn't have started smoking in the first place!"

Anti-Anxiety medications? "Get a less stressful life!"

Child Birth? "I didn't tell you to go out and get knocked up! If you want a kid - Pay for it yourself!"

Really - take a look at so many health insurance coverage plans. Now, take a second look and think of what someone who is totally opposing them might say.

Arie...again with the child birth! No child birth...no people. It is a necessity for humans to continue to exist.

I respond only to the people spouting hatred... I am not "sick".. just different. deal with it.

You're not very tolerant of an opposing belief are you Trans?

I can't say I would be very tolerant of someone intimating I was sick. Would you?

This is just the first step from the land of fruits and nuts to get this type of situation included in a comprehensive health bill 'shoved down our throats'

Ok, at least we know you're a bigot now.

really, no childbirth (covered by insurance) no people. ok, so for the thousands of years before hospitals and insurance, there were no people?

With that logic, your kinda implying that the human race appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.

really, no childbirth (covered by insurance) no people. ok, so for the thousands of years before hospitals and insurance, there were no people?

Nobody is arguing that childbirth is unnecessary; only that it is optional. Don't go moving the goalposts.

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

azzix, ummm.. Bigot? You forgot Racist, Redneck, etc that Liberals spout off when someone has a different opinion than they do.

But I agree, I guess I would call Pelosi a bigot also, since that copy you used is paraphrased directly from one of her speeches.

BTW, you could get a newspaper job since you are so duen good at only picking out parts of a post and taking it out of context.

azzix, ummm.. Bigot? You forgot Racist, Redneck, etc that Liberals spout off when someone has a different opinion than they do.

First off, the bigot charge is demonstrated based on the evidence; I did not use racist or redneck because you did not demonstrate racist or redneck behavior.

Finally, I'm not a liberal, and I didn't call you a bigot because you disagreed with me, I called you a bigot because you made a bigoted statement.

it IS a need... a need to find some sort of normality between mind and body. Without it; death is the only option.

1.) Not sure how this can be justified at all. This is cosmetic.

2.) Maybe these people should see a therapist so they can deal with who they are and how they were born. There are children born with defects that need real surgery. This is just wasteful.

I agree with TransCal....I would think that as a man....I mean as a woman..., now wait a minute......I mean as a person.....ah screw it...it was a lousy thought anyway.

Hey TransCalifornia are you getting a hint here? Seems like a pretty consistent message...

I do not wish TransCalifornia any ill will. If he/she has had surgery and paid for it out of his/her pocket, then fine. I do not agree with his/her choices, but feel he/she has every right to do what makes her/him happy.

Problem that I would have would be that my insurance premiums would go to pay for this elective surgery.

As others have said, would it pay for my face lift, because I am starting to look old and a facelift would make me feel much better about myself.

I do not agree with POdCitizen. You do have a choice and you are transgender. It just should not be paid for with insurance money. All persons who want this type of surgery should pay for it .It is definitely elective. I don't have a problem if this is what you choose to do with your body just don't make my premiums go up and they certainly will. This is expensive. I also do not believe in paying anything for prisoners in jail except food and water but they also seem to get the BEST of medical care on my dime.

I shall live forever just to make you miserable.

Hey TransCalifornia are you getting a hint here? Seems like a pretty consistent message...

Take the consistency of that message, and multiply it across society at large, and you might have a tiny inkling of the @!$%# sandwiches that transgender people eat each and every day -- served hot and steaming by people like you.

Transgender people are treated like lepers in society, shunned and ridiculed at every turn. And yet there are people here on this very seed that have the nerve to call it "elective" or a "choice", as if anyone in their right mind would choose to be a part of that group.

I do not agree with POdCitizen. You do have a choice and you are transgender. It just should not be paid for with insurance money. All persons who want this type of surgery should pay for it .It is definitely elective.

How do you know it is elective? Do you even know a single transgender person? Do you know even the barest facts about it? Given the hatred transgender people deal with every single day of their lives, I find it laughable that you can claim it is "elective".

I was born with numerous physical defects which cannot be corrected to make me appear "normal"... I walk, but it is obvious that I'm just not put together right. I have ALWAYS felt a disconnect between how the world sees me and my body, and my own mental images of myself (in my mind, I'm tall, exude beauty & sex appeal, and walk like a runway model). I know the feeling of walking past a mirror, or a reflective door or window, and wondering who the heck that woman is and how she can possibly get anywhere walking that way. I know what it's like to be locked in a body which just does not seem to fit who I am on the inside.

That being said, I am thankful every day for the body that I have been given, because who I am on the inside is directly related to the body I have been given. The insults I have taken, the pity (and compassion) people have tried to give me, the physical pain I have lived through, the feeling that I can do anything despite my physical limitations...all of these things go together to create the whole me. A person must learn to love who they are. Changing the outward appearance will not change who you are on the inside, no matter how much you think it may.

I was born with numerous physical defects which cannot be corrected to make me appear "normal"... I walk, but it is obvious that I'm just not put together right.

If there were procedures that could correct your walk, would you want them? If so, would you wish they were covered?

Before you answer, do you wish to speak for everyone who has your defect, or just yourself?

That being said, I am thankful every day for the body that I have been given, because who I am on the inside is directly related to the body I have been given.

The vast majority of transgender people I deal with and counsel also would not change how they were born. Their experiences have taught them a level of understanding, compassion and empathy most people cannot fathom.

That doesn't mean they don't wish for the same level of respect everyone else gets.

the posts that these people against are very interesting for a few reasons. The first reason is I'm assuming that the nay sayers are not transgender people. I myself am also not transgendered and am mature enough to know what I don't know. I don't know if its medically necessary or if its cosmetic because i'm not transgendered or a doctor that specializes in such practice. The moral of the story being if your not transgendered or a Dr. that specializes in such, you don't know if its cosmetic or medically necessary so your opinion is mute. You can rant about it all you want but at the end its just an opinion.

Secondly, as a gay guy its somewhat humorous to see how everyone on here reacts to getting the short end of the stick. It doesn't feel very good does it? I won't go onto a gay marriage comparison here, but just imagine if it wasn't a private insurance company, but your government that you elect that started denying you something they give to other people. Just food for thought.

Again, I'm not trans, but with how hard it is to get ahead in this world, much less as a trans person, and you can get a company to get an insurance plan that covers your surgery, more power to you.

If there were procedures that could correct your walk, would you want them? If so, would you wish they were covered?

I can only speak for myself, but of course I would. I, however, was not born with a healthy, fully functional body. Because of this, I would expect any "improvements" available to me to be covered under my medical insurance. Unfortunately for me, and for most anyone else who has physical limitations (amputees, deaf, blind, etc.), often the only options available will improve your quality of life, but not change your underlying physical problem (no prosthesis is the same the original limb, a Cochlear Implant is not the same as a functional ear). If a doctor offered me the option of cutting off my legs to be replaced by straight ones (assuming that would resolve my walking problems), I would say no. No doubt about it. Because I understand that my new appendages would bring about their own problems & complications that would need to be dealt with.

The vast majority of transgender people I deal with and counsel also would not change how they were born. Their experiences have taught them a level of understanding, compassion and empathy most people cannot fathom.

That doesn't mean they don't wish for the same level of respect everyone else gets

I'm glad to know that most transgender people you work with have come to appreciate their own bodies & experiences. I definitely agree that overcoming diversity makes you stronger, and more understanding of others. The disconnect for me is the belief that looking more "normal" physically will earn the level of respect that everyone else gets.

Whoa whoa whoa POdCitizen - don't ever tell some one to die, ever. How ridiculously cruel and irresponsible of you.

And all the rest of your are ridiculously transphobic it is making me sick. Even moreso since the people posting after POdCitizen (oh har dee har har) aren't condemning their words. ceo-lots of numbers isn't excused from this either - again transphobic comments are not necessary.

Transgender is not sick or wrong, it just is. How would any of you feel if you were stuck in the wrong body? Some are fine not getting the surgeries, but others don't want voice/body hair/genitals constantly being a reminder that they are "wrong" (i.e. not the correct gender, obviously not wrong mentally).

Please note the incredibly high suicide rate/attempt for trans people (a study was released maybe a few weeks ago that was shocking. Out of over 1000 trans people, 40% attempted suicide). I'm glad none of you people care about human life. /sarc.

All of you make me sick.

I, however, was not born with a healthy, fully functional body

Neither are transpeople. Their issue is simply invisible while yours is no.

The disconnect for me is the belief that looking more "normal" physically will earn the level of respect that everyone else gets.

A significant percentage of people who transition look less "normal" physically then prior to their transition. They don't transition to look normal, they transition to feel normal.

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

I dont think people are throwing stones, I have nothing against these people, I also have no hang ups about this surgery. The problem is that most of these people have healthy bodies, even if they dont like them. The problem is people who need life saving prcedures and surgerys cant get them because we are treated like second class citizens, our employers get the cheapest insurance that is out there and it wont pay for a thing. I want to ask if this womans insurance is so good because she is a top paid excutive, I just bet you that if she was a janitor at Wells Fargo, the insurance wouldnt be the same, she would still have male plumbing.

I agree. Good for Wells Fargo. It's time that TG is treated as a physical condition rather than a mental one. I know a few TG people, they are great people, no different than anybody else, and no less deserving of health care.

A healthy body is of no use whatsoever unless coupled with a healthy mind. If you awoke every morning hating your life; hating who you are and just wishing you were dead... you'd have a totally different perspective.

Lots of people wake up unhappy with their appearance but they don't get the surgery. Sounds like self made drama to me. Get over it and quit wasting money! Play dress up at home if you want to be a girl.

Transcal- Ok, I feel sorry for you and people like you, but you still dont seem to get it, these wrinkles in my old face are driving me nuts, I may have to kill myself because I am not young anymore and dont like myself. Although I dont mean to make lite of your plight, cancer, strokes, MD, these will kill you even if you dont want to die. If you have to kill yourself with a very healthy body, please be a donor. I do not think you are a pervert- many here do,I understand that, and its wrong. My neighbor cant leave her own house because she cant get a knee replacement, her knee is as big around as a 250 lb man. She cant walk, I am sorry but on this subject, you are wrong. Untill insurance covers all of us for what really ails us, for pain, real pain, for something that will kill you, You Sir, cant go to the top of the list.

Right on Marty!!!

Transcal- Ok, I feel sorry for you and people like you, but you still dont seem to get it, these wrinkles in my old face are driving me nuts, I may have to kill myself because I am not young anymore and dont like myself.

Marty, I know you feel like you understand, but you don't. Of course insurance is not going to cover every single procedure, but for non-transgender people it covers many, many procedures -- thousands of them.

For transgender people? None. Zero. Nada.

Insurance does cover trans-gender people. They are covered on all the same things we are.

Most of the examples of people they gave in this article were highly successful individuals who should have lots of expendable income. Their issues don't seem to have limited them. Why should a poor person who is injured or comes down with an illness while only having limited or no insurance be required to pay huge sums for their care; while someone with political clout, money, and sexual issues gets everything paid for?

TransCal - As someone who is transgender such as yourself, I completely agree with you, but sometimes you just have to look at things from a logical standpoint. Yes, it is *extremely* mentally stressful, but some people need their surgeries more than we do. People with life-threatening medial conditions have a more immediate threat to their lives. To me, "the" surgery is much less important than taking hormones. Hormones will always have a much more profound effect (physically and mentally) than SRS, and they are cheap enough to be affordable by just about anyone.

While it makes me very happy that companies are doing this, I just hope that people who have more life threatening conditions have a higher priority of getting their care.

And on another note, the amount of bigots and hateful people in these comments is just sickening. People like you really need to know when to shut the f*** up, especially when it has to do with something that you know absolutely NOTHING about. I only hope that you have kids that will go through what we have to go through, only so that you can see the pain that we have to suffer on a daily basis. Seriously, pull your heads out of your asses, and quit being so prejudiced. So what if we were born different? Grow the f*** up, mind your own business, and deal with it.

marty I like to believe you aren't equating aging and wrinkles to sexual reassignment surgery? It's not even equatable. This isn't about liking something about yourself, it's about a psychological and physical dissonance - you aren't who you should be physically. Relating this to wrinkles is frankly offensive.

Insurance does cover trans-gender people. They are covered on all the same things we are.

This is a red-herring. They are not covered on the procedures that apply to their condition.

Why should a poor person who is injured or comes down with an illness while only having limited or no insurance be required to pay huge sums for their care; while someone with political clout, money, and sexual issues gets everything paid for?

First off, this is an appeal to need in a country where 50 million Americans can't even get insurance and 45,000 of us die each and every year for lack of basic health care.

I agree there is a great need; if you want me to agree that transfolk should continue to allow themselves to be discriminated against until the "big" problem is fixed you lose me -- especially given the pittance it would cost to provide care for this tiny, tiny population.

Finally, if you think transgender people have any sort of political clout, why is it they are amongst the last people who can be fired for no reason, denied housing because they are trans? They are spit on, ridiculed, called terrible names (on this very seed!) slurred and denigrated to the point where their suicide rate is a thousand times higher than the population at large. That is not the definition of a group with political clout Freddie.

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

Cheap lasic may be covered, bladeless is not. I had it, and it was out of pocket. Definitely worth it though.

Funny, I had lasix surgery back in the 80's when it was called Radial Keratotomy, and I regret I did it.....I ended up with scar tissue on my cornea and had to have surgery to get it "scrapped" off. I don't recommend lasix surgery to ANYONE. Those are the only pair of eyes that you have....wear your glasses and be glad that you can even see at all!!

Didi-- I had gall bladder surgery in 1979. I still have a faint 6-inch scar down my front. This is 2011-- even years ago the process of gall bladder surgery had been improved. So I imagine Lasik surgery has improved in 20 years. What results are today could very well be better than your results. I'll check with my eye doctor next time I have an appointment-- that will be in about 4 months.

The RK uses a blade, and the chances for problems later on are significant. I opted for bladeless, and frankly when they explained the procedure, I still had my doubts, but the laser makes a much finer, more accurate flap cut, and the result is minimal discomfort, and, with the right Dr, few if any cases of problems.

Instead you will pay higher life insurance premiums; higher health costs due to failed suicide attempts...

rising costs are minimal from transgender individuals.. if cost is your concern.. then you might check a little deeper for your real feelings.

If everyone out there that didn't like their bodies and couldn't get some kind of free surgery decided suicide was the answer, then we'd be surrounded by corpses already. It's too bad that the trans crowd doesn't like their lot in life. They should save up their own shekels and go see the doc.

Obamacare, Really, the insurance that is trying to get coverage for people who have none, thats what you want to liken this to. I think you havent the information to make a comment like this. Obamacare, makes it impossible for the insurance companys to drop your insurance when you get sick, wont let them use prexsisting conditions for a reason to refuse coverage. Lets you keep your children on your health coverage till age 26, till they can afford thier own. You are listening to Beck and Limpballs. You have no idea what you are talking about. You do realize that people who make a lot of money have very good insurance, compared to the working class and working poor.

smarty-2890428, we needed health insurance reform, not throw the whole d@mn thing out and start over. I wish there was enough money for health care to be free to everyone. That's just not possible now or in the near future. Our economy is in the toilet and Obama forces through his health care illusion with no way to pay for it. Giving tax breaks for breast feeding mothers (Michelle's bright idea) and transgender reassignment dreams don't fit with fiscal reality. Obama doesn't get it and apparently never will. I hope we can stay afloat until 2012.

The problem with obamacare is that I don't have the choice to not carry health insurance? Marty, I bet you are pro choice because women should be able to choose? Right? If that's the case I should be able to choose not to participate in Marxism!!!

I think it would be safe to say that Obama had nothing to do with this transgender surgery approval. Can we leave Obama out of this? I know blaming him for everything is like butter on a warm, fresh English muffin to many folks, but believe it or not, he is not the culprit of every shortcoming in the USA. This may shock you, but he has not been president for that long. Bu yes, you are right, long enough to cure every ailment the USA has faced from 1776 on through.

Jason, you complain that the new healthcare is "forcing" people to buy health insurance so you want it repealed? Have you ever considered that you are "forced" to have money taken out of your paycheck for Social Security; and you are "forced" to sign up for Medicare at age 65 whether you want it or not. So, what's the difference if the government requires you to purchase health insurance (at a low rate). Think about it....the more currently uninsured people who purchase insurance, the less money will come out of our taxes to pay for their care. As it stands now, you and I, as taxpayers, are paying for uninsured people's care whenever they go to an ER for stupid little things like a cold. I'm sorry, but I'd rather they be "forced" to purchase some type of health insurance so that I don't have to pay for their care!! And, since the government can "force" us to pay money out of our hard-earned paychecks into Social Security (for our retirement, so we aren't on the public dole when we get older) and to sign up for Medicare whether we want it or not...I don't see the difference, do you?

California, in your effort to be caring and understanding, you are providing services you can't afford at the expense of others. Do you not care about the people who must contribute to this fraud? Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

apparently you get what you pay for...

Actually, we dont get what we pay for, that being the problem.

No, because today, your health insurance dollars are paying to take care of all the uninsured people who run to the ER for such a thing as a cold! That's where your healthcare tax dollars are going! This is why it is so important to mandate that everyone have some type of healthcare insurance. I know I'm getting tired of my hard-earned taxes paying for someone who is unable to get health insurance and can't afford to go to an actual doctor, so they take up space in the ER, which ends up costing more in the long run than just going to the doctor's office.

I had to fight tooth & nail to get my son's growth hormone shots covered so that he can grow! Without them, he didn't eat, sleep, and was completely off the growth chart.

Where is the logic in saying that a child cannot have a replacement for a missing part of his system which would allow him to grow to be the height he was designed to be, but a full-grown healthy adult who doesn't like the way they are designed can completely change themselves?

Tux, you have to live in San Fran, or maybe Los Angeles for a while before you stop questioning the peculiar. It's what passes for normal in Kalifornia.

I live in San Fran and I scratch my head as well. I support their desire to change their bodies, but not on the insurance dime.

What about new mothers whose body from child birth has transformed and doesn't feel like herself? She goes through Post Partum Depression, etc. Does she get a breast job and vaginal reconstruction too? Do flat chested women qualify since it will give them a better quality of life since they have body dismorphia? MILLLIONS of people are affected by uncomfortableness with their body where they struggle in the public's body acceptance. They suffer from depression, anxiety, etc. etc. DO THEY get coverage too?

Yes Transgendered is an actual condition, but it is not something that inhibits you from breathing, moving, inhaling, actual bodily functions. Body image and societal issues AREN'T imperative to your body functioning. Save up your clams and get a job done in from reputable doc Thailand, where I've heard they do very good work (better than US since its much more common).

I'd rather my insurance company give some money to body image awareness and public acceptance of transgendered or general public body image acceptance than to pay for Elective procedures when people cant get medication.

World, to show yourself in the best light, learn what those fancy buzzwords mean before using them to jazz up your posts. Dysmorphia, besides for the fact that it is tied into outdated psychiatric definitions of transgendered persons refers to self image. Boob jobs are generally for (with the exception of reconstruction) the benefit of what OTHERS think of your bust size.

Whats so perverted about it? I guess your image of a transgendered person is a guy getting a rack just so he can play with them. Thats not what it is. Get educated man. God forbid anyone see's what you do behind closed doors. Im sure youre more of a pervert than most transgendered individuals

We fight to get our insurance company to pay for sincere health issues. Why would they have no issue paying for perverted issues? And yes, like it or not, it is perversion. Jesus help us.

Really? A perversion? I know my bible pretty well... I don't think I've ever seen a reference to transgenderism at all, much less a condemnation. Perhaps instead of being a run-of-the-mill bigot, you're a self-righteous one?

Jesus will help you... just follow his first teaching. Love others as you love thyself.

Most people do not understand the idea of a man wanting to appear to be a woman so he can get another man, who doesn't know he's a man. I'm one of those. I've always heard it said that Gays do not want hetro people, but if true, then why is there this conserted effort to appear to be a woman, to get a hetro man? It's not like the Hetro Man wants a man that looks like a woman and what about other gay men, they certainly don't want a woman, even if she is really a man, just looking like a woman, if he likes other men! What a mess!

There's a major difference between sexual reassignment surgery and breast implants. Oh yay you want bigger boobs, good for you. That's cosmetic. The sexual reassignment surgery is correction to fix dissonance between your mind and your body: who you should be. It's not about doing it frivolously to be happy. It's about doing it to be the person you should be.

this surgery does not equate to cosmetic surgery. Saying so is ridiculously offensive and ignorant on your part (and all the people who keep repeating this stupid logic over and over)

E doughty:

The sexual reassignment surgery is correction to fix dissonance between your mind and your body: who you should be.

Ok then, why can't they go to counseling and fix their mind to be in cooperation with their body? That seems easier.

10 years counseling; 9 years hormones... breast aug in 05 on my own dime. Therapy and hormones have taken me as far as I can go.

and BTW: I decieve no one.. if a man is attracted to me; I will up front inform him that I am trans. If he is no longer interested... I don't feel insulted or hurt. At least RESPECT has been offered and returned in kind.

I said yesterday that I was done. And I am finished defending. But I am not afraid to hide who I am; and what I've gone thru.

Regina, so you suggest that we reprogram all individuals who do not fit within some narrow, infantile and oversimplified view of what people should be like? And whose definition do we use? Yours? A government panel? How about a board made up of psychiatrists and, lets say priests. Besides for which, the cost to try to force somebody to come around to your way of thinking may well be considerably higher than the physical transformation.

Best comment yet. The world has gone mad and this is proof

Sorry to hear about that Motherbuck. That makes this situation even more infuriating than it was to start with.

Seriously? My insurance company won't pay $3,500 for me to get the BRCA test done (to see if I carry a gene for breast cancer that I could have passed to my children/grandchildren, that my sister or her daughters may have

Do you know how many millions of women would opt for these tests if they were covered and how many tens of billions of dollars that would cost?

Do you know how many thousands of transgender people would opt for these procedures, and how many tens millions it would cost?

It sounds like you're advocating denying coverage to an entire class of people just so that a tiny fraction of your class of people can get a test or two? Is that about right?

Actually, man can and do get breast cancer, though rare, and the average cost of total reconstruction with all the bells and whistles male > female is way under 100 grand, and typically less than a fifth of that. Frankly, in my opinion, if I am now forced to buy insurance, which I have been paying for all along, and now that the price has gone up, I say make them pay for everything. You should be more angry that the insurance industry is responsible for the insane costs of health care in general, than maybe a few hundred people are going to get coverage for something that YOU find unnecessary.

Good point, GID is not a life threatening condition. It drives me nuts that they can get this surgery yet people with serious conditions cannot get the coverage they need. Totally backwards.

trans people are not hermaphrodites (a term that isn't even used anymore... ). Stop being transphobic.

If premiums have been paid; and proof that their suicidal tendencies are for said reason... a resounding YES.

So tell me TransCalifornia, should medical plans pay for breast aumentation, liposuction, or penal implants for all the teenagers that suffer from low-self-esteem and click alienation to lower the teen suicide rate?

I reject the basis of the question; as if gender reassignment procedures are in any way elective in the way breast augmentations are.

Just to be clear, Insurance is NOT an investment that you need to get a return on. It is paid protection. If you never have an accident with your car, you don't go out and bust it up, so you get your money back in repairs. Not even close. If you are healthy, you pay and pay and never get any money back, because it is spent on those who paid only once, then had a major illness or medical injury. YOU DON'T CLAIM your money back when you haven't used it! You Trans People who feel you are OWED your elective procedures to get a return on your premiums are nuts! Geeeze!

You Trans People who feel you are OWED your elective procedures to get a return on your premiums are nuts! Geeeze!

First of all, nobody here is claiming they are "owed" anything but the same respect you would demand for yourself.

But if your assertion is to be true, I must wonder why is it that vast majority of people here are complaining that they cannot get some procedure they want covered because those nasty trans people are spending up all of the dollars?

I think most of us are in the same boat, I would really like to know what kind of insurance and how much it cost. Dollar to a donut, its for high paid excutives. Regular people dont get this kind of insurance. I cant get a MRI, they are going to wait untill I have a brain anurisizm or a stroke and then Ill be in debt for many thousands of dollars.

This is a private insurance company, that covers high paid excutives, has nothing to do with President Obama or his health plan, again talking about something you know nothing about.

I think one of the biggest reasons Obama won is to stick it to people like you. I am glad you and the likes insist on being so cruel and ugly-mouthed, helps ensure he will get elected again in 2012 because no one wants to end up with the likes of you, or Limbaugh, in the office. Talk about Hitler's Germany.

ms. you really got in alot of name calling there. I didn't see Hitler, Rush or any other people you hate, being interjected into the conversation by Jimmy, so the cruel, ugly mouth award goes to you!@

I just decided I want a penis so big, I'll have to strap it to my thigh! So can I sue if I'm not covered?

Me too, jbird! although my husband might object...

jbird, perhaps then you could sue your pants maker...

Ah... no.

No lets respond like it is my money paying for the surgery. This is surgery that is not needed for health reasons. Let these people pay for their own treatment, out of pocket. I cant believe I read thru your whole article.

Imagine walking around with a young, skinny person on the inside but an old, fat person on the outside.

go on a diet

Ah... no.

Ah... why not?

Everyone here who is being a transphobic sheep shagger, don't you have better things to do than bitch about @!$%# that's out of your control? That's right, it's happened and there's nothing you can do about it. So you stop giving the company service, there are plenty of people who will stay with them regardless. They don't care about you. You're insignificant. You mean nothing. So, shut up. You're stupid rants, lies, and retarded transphobic comments are falling on deaf ears.

DocRox- Normally I would be empathetic. I have a liberal heart. But putting them at the top of the needs list for coverage, when people are dying, would be just irresponsible. Transplant patients 1st, please!