How Many Seniors Want a Sex Change Operation Paid For By Medicare?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is beginning down a road to new services while restricting your knee replacement. Note that Medicaid is involved as well, because as we know, not many, if any, on Medicare want a sex-change operation. Bottom line, when ObamaCare kicks in, all of us regardless of age will be on a Medicare-styled plan. This is such a big deal (and the joke is) that a special date has been set for announcing the decision tied to the passage of ObamaCare. What does that tell you? The review is a sham. It’s a done deal.

Acting on a new request, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it is starting a new analysis that could lift the spending ban for sex-change operations with a goal of making a decision two days after Christmas and on the eve of Obamacare kicking in January 1. 

A 30-day public comment period just opened on the proposed “National Coverage Determination.” 

“Surgical Treatment for Gender Identity Disorder, formerly referred to as transsexual surgery in 140.3, is currently noncovered under the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. The existing policy, which became effective in 1981, states that transsexual surgery is considered experimental,” said the notice just posted on the CMS.gov site….
The National Center for Transgender Equality is among those pushing for the changes. 

In supporting letters to CMS, one of the proponents claims that the experimental status of sex-change operations has long passed and that studies confirm it works. “These medical procedures and treatment protocols are not experimental: decades of both clinical experience and medical research show they are essential to achieving well-being for the transsexual patient,” said the letter. Source: Washington Examiner

Find much more information here. Another interesting piece here on elective surgery. The Center for Medical and Medicare Services is not making it easy to find a link to the public comment page. If I find it, I’ll link it here. If you find it and care to share it, please drop a link in comments or send an email.

By Maggie @ Maggie's Notebook