Call Out Blue Cross Blue Shield's Ridiculous Policy Change
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan recently removed the coverage of gender reassignment surgery from their "covered" list. "Michigan Messenger reported Tuesday that BCBS of Michigan had received permission from state regulators to change insurance coverage offerings, and elimination of gender reassignment surgery was one of those approved changes."
The reason? It was "simply a matter of aligning their product with what is currently offered in the market." After the company posted a 133 million dollar loss, they needed to make changes.
Um... call me crazy, but I can't imagine there was a line out the door at hospitals with people looking to have the surgery. When asked, by Todd Heywood, Helen Stojic, spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said she could not provide how much of the loss was due to gender reassignment surgery.
Then how do they know it's a good business decision? Since health care is no longer about health, at least be a good business person. Why not address the number of unnecessary Cesarean sections performed? Or use of emergency rooms for minor patient care?
Nope. Gender reassignment makes the best fiscal sense. Even though they have no idea how much it has cost the company.
It is bad enough that our health care system is now based on a for profit business model. But when they blow it on a common sense level, it's hard to not see it for what it is- discrimination.
I suggest it might be time for Ms. Stojic to hear from the community. Please feel free to contact her at 313 549 9884. The more the merrier. Because the reality of this decision and their "reasoning" is total bullshit.
You can quote me on that.
The reason? It was "simply a matter of aligning their product with what is currently offered in the market." After the company posted a 133 million dollar loss, they needed to make changes.
Um... call me crazy, but I can't imagine there was a line out the door at hospitals with people looking to have the surgery. When asked, by Todd Heywood, Helen Stojic, spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said she could not provide how much of the loss was due to gender reassignment surgery.
Then how do they know it's a good business decision? Since health care is no longer about health, at least be a good business person. Why not address the number of unnecessary Cesarean sections performed? Or use of emergency rooms for minor patient care?
Nope. Gender reassignment makes the best fiscal sense. Even though they have no idea how much it has cost the company.
It is bad enough that our health care system is now based on a for profit business model. But when they blow it on a common sense level, it's hard to not see it for what it is- discrimination.
I suggest it might be time for Ms. Stojic to hear from the community. Please feel free to contact her at 313 549 9884. The more the merrier. Because the reality of this decision and their "reasoning" is total bullshit.
You can quote me on that.
Labels: bad policy, blue cross blue shield, LGBT families, LGBT issues, transgender
posted by Sara at 11:47 AM
5 Comments:
TOTAL BULLSHIT
well said
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I have MIBCBS insurance. Last week, we got a packet in the mail stating that we have had a "policy change". It's sitting somewhere in my pile of papers to-be-read. As soon as I find it, I will look it over.
This change is awful.
Ok, I misspoke. I do not have MIBCBS, but rather an insurance policy through UofM (It IS a BCBS plan, but different from MIBCBS). We just had some changes to our policy.
Ours still covers what they categorize as "Transgender Surgery" but it does not cover "Reversal of Transgender surgical procedures," or "cosmetic procedures to alter the face, breasts, abdomen, hips, and other non-genital areas." (As per our newest Benefits Document.)
I was diagnosed five years ago as having Gender Identity Disorder. At the time too much was going on to have what I needed to have done ,so I had to put it off. Now that I have everything in order,my insurance carrier will no longer cover such needs. To them ,it is just a form of an elected cosmetic surgery ! Do these individuals know the suicide rate because they don't have medical coverage ? My life has not been a pleasant one with all the depression and pain that I have suffered. At times the depression would get so great ,that thoughts of ending my life would sound logical ! I have been checked out and I do not have a mental disorder of any kind .!I was just born into the wrong body. My brain does not match my body. ! How can these fools say that it is just cosmetic ?
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