Wonder whether this will be the start of a national trend.
San Francisco To Pay for Sex Changes
The Associated Press
Monday, April 30, 2001; 9:02 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO –– The Board of Supervisors voted Monday to pay for
sex changes for city employees.
The measure would pay up to $50,000 in benefits to city workers who want
to switch their gender. Approved 9-2, the bill awaits the signature of Mayor
Willie Brown.
San Francisco apparently would be the nation's only governmental body to
extend the benefit. The state of Minnesota offered such benefits, but the
program was phased out in 1998. The issue was discussed in Oregon, but a
commission decided against it in 1999.
The benefit, available starting July 1, would cover male-to-female surgery,
which costs about $37,000, as well as female-to-male surgery, about
$77,000.
Employees would have to work for the city at least a year before they
would be eligible.
People wanting sex-change surgery would have to pay 15 percent
out-of-pocket if they use a doctor in the city's health network. If an
out-of-network doctor is used, the employee's cost rises to 50 percent.
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