Vermont Orders Insurers to Cover Gender Reassignment

Vermont regulators have issued a mandate that insurers operating within the state cover all medically necessary procedures for transgender people, including gender-reassignment surgery.

The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation's Division of Insurance laid out the policy in a bulletin saying, "DFR is committed to ensuring that Vermonters do not face discrimination in accessing medically necessary health care benefits, including those based on gender identity and gender dysphoria," the Rutland Herald reports. The document adds, "This is both a simple question of fairness and a matter addressed by existing insurance law and DFR regulation." The policy went into effect last week.

Three other states -- California, Colorado, and Oregon -- and the District of Columbia have similar policies, according to ThinkProgress. The Transgender Law Center and other advocacy groups praised Vermont's move.