Mom sues after Minnesota teen denied coverage for gender reassignment
The suit filed in federal court in
"I was really disappointed with my employer," Tovar said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "It's hard coming to work [when] my employer considers my son a second-class citizen."
The suit alleges that Tovar's insurance plan for herself and her family "contains a categorical exclusion ... for services and/or surgery for gender reassignment, regardless of medical necessity."
The teen was prescribed Lupron, which suppresses menstruation, and Androderm, a form of testosterone. The cost for Lupron was roughly
The mother paid for the Androderm herself, and Essentia later decided to cover that expense "as a one-time exception," the suit continued, but it did not yield on the overall merits of the coverage denial.
In December, Tovar sought preauthorization for her teen's gender-reassignment surgery but was denied, according to the suit.
Private insurance coverage for transition-related surgeries varies in
State law forbids state medical-assistance programs from paying for such procedures if strictly for gender reassignment.
Tovar has suffered from stress and migraines in connection with the dispute over her teen's medical needs, the suit claims.
The suit asks Essentia to change its policies regarding coverage for gender-reassignment services and surgery.
"It's not even about the money," Tovar said. "I'm trying to change [the coverage] and make access to health care for transgender [people] as it should be. To have a blanket exclusion for transgender is against the law. It's discriminatory."
The
Representatives of
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