Aon expands employee private healthcare scheme to include cover for gender dysphoria
Global professional services firm Aon plc, which provides risk, retirement and health solutions, has announced that it has expanded its employee private healthcare scheme in the UK to include cover for gender dysphoria. The scheme is administered by UK healthcare specialist Bupa.
Gender dysphoria is defined by strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one's own assigned sex that results in significant distress. It is a recognised medical condition, for which treatment can be appropriate, and not a mental illness. There has been a rapid increase in the number of people experiencing gender dysphoria, and yet frequent gaps in insurance coverage have hindered many individuals from receiving adequate treatment.
In 2016, Aon demonstrated its commitment to the provision of adequate cover to individuals experiencing gender dysphoria by developing one of the UK market’s first gender dysphoria coverage solutions. “Diversity is the foundation on which we have built our world-class organisation. Given our commitment to an inclusive culture, we have chosen to introduce gender dysphoria cover within our own benefits package. This is a significant change to our scheme and enables members to access different levels of professional treatment, which could include counselling and support services through to surgical procedures,” said David Battle, CEO of Employee Benefits UK, Aon. “Gender dysphoria is a recognised medical condition, yet it is excluded from many employers’ private healthcare schemes. We believe this is wholly inappropriate. The late James Kenrick, who served as our Head of Health Care Consulting Services, was a pioneer in bringing gender dysphoria cover to our clients and developed one of the market’s first coverage solutions. We will continue to build on this legacy and are proud to be leading the industry in providing such inclusive benefits for Aon colleagues in the UK.”