Beth Scott, a transgendered woman living in New Jersey, can finally celebrate after winning a case against the healthcare giant, Aetna after being denied insurance for a mammogram screening.

44-year-old Scott, who expected to be reimbursed for the mammogram two years ago, was turned down after the company told her that they didn’t provide insurance related to her sex change. Scott, who became a full-fledged woman in 2008, was told by her doctor to get a regular breast exam similar to any other woman her age should.

Many health companies including Aetna do not typically cover health expenses related to gender transformations. Yet, Scott and many others believe it’s a form of discrimination.

If transgender people are being singled out for denial of care that is provided to other individuals, this makes it clear transgender people have to be treated equally under the plan, said Noah Lewis, a lawyer for the New Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Hopefully this will send a message to other insurance companies they can’t keep making these kinds of denials.

After being denied reimbursement twice by the company, Scott had to threaten Aetna with a lawsuit.

She finally received an apology and a check for $385 dollars, a monumental win for the transgender community.

“I wish this could have been resolved through the appeals process and that the exclusion had not been misinterpreted,” says Scott. “I am hopeful that in the future transgender care such as hormones and surgery will be covered as is other medically necessary care.”

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6 Comments

  1. so instead of the money going to a natural woman who cant afford to pay for a mammogram it will go to a fake woman who can. right..

  2. This is absolutely ridiculous and a total waste of money!!! So many REAL WOMEN can’t afford these tests!!!

    • @ahngele: You sound intolerant. What’s wrong with this man who has real breasts to take care of himself. There is more than enough coverage available if insurance companies stop hoarding premiums and help people instead of looking at the profit in sickness

      • @Scott: thinking he deserves the rights of the everyday WOMAN is crazy! the chances of a man getting breast cancer is so much lower than a natural woman. u sound stupid…theres most and enough women running around WITHOUT health care coverage, because they cannot afford it, the fact that insurance through a job is almost 300 a month and alot of people dont take it because they cannot afford to have that money missing from the mouths of their children. If the insurance companies would stop wasting $ for nonsence people would have the chance to get mammograms and/or even cheaper health care. the fact that a woman with breast cancer would still have to come out of pocket to pay for treatments and medication, while “transgendered” men are wanting health insurance coverage for womens treatments is mind blowing…you might think your taking a step for transgendered but your also taking away from real women.

  3. This is ridiculous. So should insurance cover prostate exams for women now? What a waste of health care dollars.

  4. men and women get breast cancer. I am not sure if this has a thing to do with transgender identity. But it has EVERYTHING to do with transgender politics!

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