Find out what strategies LGBTQ+ people use to pay for additional costs, like family formation, gender affirming care, and name or gender marker changes. 

Answer: 

The 3 most common ways LGBTQ+ people cover the costs of gender affirming care are:

1. Personal savings
2. Health insurance
3. Credit card(s)

Questions:

• Of LGBTQ+ people who had gender affirming care, what percent had some costs covered by health insurance?
• Why do you think health insurance is the most common strategy for family formation, whereas savings is the most common strategy for gender affirming care?
• The usage of credit cards and loans was highest for gender affirming care, compared to the other costs. What is one financial impact of that?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (CLEAR and MAP):

Gender-affirming health care encompasses a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity. Despite being medically necessary care and supported by all major medical organizations, fewer than half of states have explicit protections for transgender people when it comes to health insurance coverage and nondiscrimination...

Overall, 7% of all LGBTQI+ respondents—including 50% of all transgender respondents—said they had ever received some form of gender-affirming medical or health care, including but not limited to counseling, hormones or hormone replacement therapy, surgery, voice therapy, and electrolysis. An additional 6% of LGBTQI+ respondents said they have wanted to obtain gender affirming care but have not done so due to cost"

"Notably, only one-third (34%) of LGBTQI+ people who had received gender-affirming care said they used their health insurance to pay for at least some of the costs, illustrating the heavy financial burdens placed on these individuals when health insurers do not cover the cost of this medically necessary care. Indeed, the highest reported credit card usage was for gender-affirming care, with 39% of those who had received care reporting having to use their credit card(s) toward the cost of this care.

The heavy reliance on personal savings and credit cards—especially for needs most frequently associated with the transgender community, which experiences disproportionately high poverty rates—again indicates the financial obstacles for LGBTQI+ people and shows that many are digging into their own pocket or going into debt to fund these fundamental human needs."

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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