Portage County adds transgender benefits to its healthcare plan
In Wisconsin, US, the Portage County government has added transgender benefits to its healthcare plan, allowing government employees and their families to access transition-related treatments and hormonal treatments as part of their approved medical benefits
On 20 February, the organisation’s Human Resources (HR) committee unanimously approved a resolution to include transgender services in the county’s healthcare plan. This was no easy feat – in 2016, the US department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights attempted to expand the Affordable Care Act’s definition of ‘discrimination on the basis of sex’ to include gender identity, but lawsuits blocked the regulation at the time.
Since then, it took a Wisconsin judge instating a class action lawsuit to eventually effect the change needed in the region. As part of Portage County’s annual legal compliance review of its healthcare plan, and on the advice of the county’s consultant, Willis Tower Watson, the HR committee agreed to drop exclusions in the county’s healthcare plan for transgender services.
"As indicated, the law on coverage of transgender benefits is still very unsettled and evolving. Based on the foregoing, the best approach for an employer is to avoid providing for any type of benefit exclusion that targets transgender benefits, especially a blanket exclusion specifically applicable to transgender individuals, and instead decide a transgender individual’s eligibility for plan benefits on a case by case basis — just like any other similarly situated participant," a memo to the HR committee reads.
Portage County HR Director Laura Belanger Tess explained that the new improved benefits mean that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will treat transition-related surgeries and hormonal treatments like any other healthcare claim.
Vincent Miresse, County Board Member from District 1 in Steven Point, commended Belanger Tess’ efforts: "If we're going to serve all people, we need to follow all the civil rights laws and codes and expand them further for marginalised communities. It's been too long that we've had to fight for equity and equality for our country."