Transgender people, like all people, deserve skilled and compassionate health care. Knowledgeable care can mean the difference between life and death for members of our community. Improving our access to the health care system through changes in law, policy and attitudes is a top priority for Transgender Law Center. We work to provide transgender people with increased access to healthcare throughout the state of California through our Project HEALTH program and resources for becoming an informed healthcare activist. We also advocate at the local, state, and national levels for healthcare rights.
Our guide, Organizing for Transgender Health Care, will give you the tools you need to advocate with the goal of ensuring your local community has competent, quality care available for transgender patients.
Our brochure 10 Tips for Working with Transgender Patients is a great resource for health care providers to begin thinking about how to best provide care. We recommend health care providers contact us for trainings and more resources.
More Resources:
- F.A.Q: California’s Ban on Transgender Exclusions in Health Insurance
- How to Start a Transgender Clinic
A step by step guide for health care providers and community organizers. This printable PDF will guide you though the structure of setting up a transgender clinic - The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding
The national Institute of Medicine, a non-profit agency that is part of the National Academy of Sciences, advises the U.S. government on health care issues. This 2011 report details the impact of health disparities on LGBT people and includes specific information about transgender health care. - National Coalition for LGBT Health
The Coalition is made up of groups that advocate for LGBT health and well-being across the country; Transgender Law Center is a member. - MediCal Fact Sheet
Information about Medi-Cal and Gender Reassignment Procedures - Transgender Health and the Law and La Salud De Personas Transgénero y La Ley
A fact sheet on identifying and fighting health care discrimination, available in English and Spanish
Meaningful access to quality, affordable health care that meets the needs of transgender people is a priority for Transgender Law Center.
Over the years, we have worked to educate policy makers about transgender health care. For example, back in 2006 we were instrumental in the passage of California’s Insurance Gender Nondiscrimination Act, a law which prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against transgender people.
Currently, we are working to ensure that public and private health insurance cover medically necessary care for transgender people and that all transgender people have access to quality care.
Transgender Law Center is working tirelessly to ensure that health care reform is meaningful for transgender people. For example, as states are setting up insurance exchanges (subsidized marketplaces for insurance), we are working to ensure that there will be equal access to insurance coverage for transgender people, that the Exchange programs include outreach to transgender consumers, and that there is a method for data collection that includes sexual orientation and gender identity so that we can reduce health disparities.
Transgender Law Center also works eliminate discriminatory exclusions in public and private health insurance plans. For example, we recently helped Google remove barriers to care for their transgender employees.
We also work to improve access to community clinics through our groundbreaking partnership, Project HEALTH.
Get involved in our health care advocacy work by sharing your story! We will use your story to educate policy makers on our communities’ need for quality, affordable health care. Share your story here.
Through our helpline and our client advocacy work, we have helped provide dozens of transgender people with the resources they need to challenge discriminatory denials of care from healthcare and health insurance providers.
Project H.E.A.L.T.H.
Uniting Our Communities and Clinics for Social Change.
San Francisco’s Lyon-Martin Health Services, the Transgender Law Center and Equality California have joined forces to provide an innovative, comprehensive program that expands access to healthcare for transgender individuals.
Lyon-Martin draws on thirty years of working with women and trans folks to address systemic barriers trans people face in accessing health care. The Transgender Law Center and Equality California rely on their experience organizing community, engaging in public policy advocacy, and training a broad range of folks on law and policy issues.
Together, we provide training and technical assistance to California clinics and providers, increase community member and provider participation in health advocacy, and seek to bridge the gap between providers and patients.
Recent Health Care Blog Posts…
- Philadelphia Passes Historic LGBT Health Equality Bill! April 25, 2013
- Vermont Orders Insurance Companies to End Transgender Exclusions April 24, 2013
- CA DOI Economic Impact Assessment of Gender Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance April 17, 2013
- FAQ: California’s Ban on Transgender Exclusions in Health Insurance April 12, 2013
- PACHA Issues Groundbreaking Transgender HIV/AIDS Resolution April 3, 2013