Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Sex Change

[dgriffin]

New York Panel Wants Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Gender Reassignment Surgery

Published September 30, 2011

| New York Post



NEW YORK – A state panel advising New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wants taxpayers to foot the bill for transgender residents to get "sexual reassignment surgery," allowing them to change their physical characteristics from a man to a woman or woman to man, The New York Post reported Thursday.

"Provide Medicaid coverage for transgender surgery/hormone replacement therapy and treatment," read the proposal submitted by the state's health disparities work group.

The panel is submitting recommendations to Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team for possible inclusion in the governor's budget plan.

A state Health Department spokesman confirmed that requiring Medicaid to cover gender reassignment surgery is being considered.

"Medicaid doesn't cover the surgery," said the department's Jeff Gordon. "This issue is under review by the Medicaid Redesign Team."

The proposal -- coming just months after Cuomo won national attention for steering a gay-marriage law through the state legislature -- came under fire from the political right.

"This is an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars," said state Conservative Party chairman Mike Long.

Long insisted sex-change procedures are cosmetic and encourage permissiveness, adding, "I hope the governor doesn't push the envelope on this."

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www.nypost.com/p/news/local/let_taxpayers_foot_sex_op_bill_panel_syVzH88veFSKLnSXA76w9O

[firstamendment]

Ya know, this is one of those gray areas of medical necessity as opposed to elective surgery. Being that I am a male by birth and have always felt as a male, I cannot even attempt to identify what or how transgendered people feel. I imagine there is a psychological issue with someone born into the wrong gender body but since that is not me, I cannot gauge the issue objectively.

One thing they need to be careful of is opening the door for other kinds of procedures that have long been elective rather than necessary. Say like a boob job. Just because a woman may be subconscous of the size of her breasts, should that be considered necessary? In cases like a mascetomy, where a breast is actually removed, I can see why such reconstructive surgery may be necessary.

I can say with near certainty, this will be an emotionally driven issue.

[clarencebunsen]

It is certainly an area in which priorities should be considered and set with consideration and care not with emotion. Starting with something which is sure to raise strong feelings seems like the wrong way to go.

[Clipper]

At risk of sounding like a homophobe, I would say that if it is "psychologically damaging" to the person's emotional well being, then the subject would be up for debate by a person's doctors before approving the procedure. Here's the part that may seem homophobic. There is a remote possibility with the newly minted gay marriage law in NY that some gay couples might elect to have the surgery simply as a plumbing remodel to "enhance the sexual experience." It then becomes the same as an elective breast enhancement, more or less for "cosmetic" reasons if that is the word that best describes it.

My only opinion would be this. With the present problems with Medicaide funding, is this the correct time to bring up such a contentious idea? But then again. I am reputed to hate "poor people" and entitlement programs. If someone "NEEDS" surgery, I don't object to contributing through a taxpayer funded entitlement program. If someone simply WANTS or DESIRES a surgery that is not necessary to their continued good health and well being, then I am not quite so inclined.

[corner]

elective surgery is what it is transgenderism seems to be a software problem and not a hardware problem,, because doctors can do it doesnt mean they should...people should learn to live with god gave them that includes breast augmentation ,reduction or what ever although i have a cousin in realbad need of a nose job

[firstamendment]

If it were just as easy as a software problem and transgenders just learning to live with what God gave them, then there wouldn't be any need for discussion on the issue. If only it were that simple, corner.

[Clipper]

Regardless of whether the claims supporting the approval of such a policy are valid or not, it is just one more issue to become the subject of heated debate between gays and straights, republicans and democrats, liberals and conservatives, religious and nonreligious. Glad it is not taking place here where I have to make a moral or political decision as to whether to support or oppose such an issue. Welcome to NY State 2011. Have fun guys.

[corner]

Sept 30, 2011 11:07:37 GMT -5 firstamendment said:

If it were just as easy as a software problem and transgenders just learning to live with what God gave them, then there wouldn't be any need for discussion on the issue. If only it were that simple, corner.

maybe but we shouldnt have to pay for it still is elective surgery dont care what their psyche is telling them..would you want to pay for somebodies boob jobs who is on medicaid cause they thought theye wern't attractive enuff not talking reconstruction after cancer surgery/// there is a reason private insurance companies dont cover this kind of operation it is VOLUNTARY surgery.

[corner]

bottom line seems like another part of the gay agenda that they wish to force down the throats of everyone else

[corner]

no pun intended

[bobbbiez]

Sept 30, 2011 14:19:22 GMT -5 corner said:

no pun intended

Corner, you are one sick puppy. I love it! ;D

[corner]

frankly im tired of all the worlds homos , gays transgender or whatever pusihng their agenda in my face ranges from their flaming parades to public displays of "affection" that i find offensive when heteros do it if you need to stick your toungue down somebodies throat or your finger up their ass get a room wait til you get home but not in the middle of the mall again applies to all species not just gays teaching kids in school as a matter of subject matter gay history black history womens history its all history folks why does it need to be codified by gender or sexual preference; va fongul to it all

[Deleted]

what is a part of realignment surgery is mental health counseling and Mediciad has a very poor performance ratio with mental health services.

[dgriffin]

Sept 30, 2011 20:43:36 GMT -5 corner said:

frankly im tired of all the worlds homos , gays transgender or whatever pusihng their agenda in my face ranges from their flaming parades to public displays of "affection" that i find offensive when heteros do it if you need to stick your toungue down somebodies throat or your finger up their ass get a room wait til you get home but not in the middle of the mall again applies to all species not just gays teaching kids in school as a matter of subject matter gay history black history womens history its all history folks why does it need to be codified by gender or sexual preference; va fongul to it all

Corner, me too. And I have homosexual acquaintances who agree. But any minority can have influence because they have power. They have tremendous presence in the media, which in this century is essentially the national public sphere, compared to the last century when the public sphere was largely local in scope and the media was not such an influence. The media is over-liberalized for many reasons. And we are no longer thoughtful citizens who weigh the issues. Instead we are consumers who respond to TV ads.

Plus, minorities have political power. It derives from the predictability of most of our votes as measured by pollsters, combined with the "swing vote" of any small group who can organize themselves enough to be countable.

If a politician can count on my vote because 1. I always vote for his party, or 2. I've been taught in the public school system to be magnanamous to any minority to the point of forgetting or ignoring why some of them remain a minority influence (except in politics,) then that politician is only interested in which voters will swing for him or against him and he will make his promises and later vote for legislation designed to please that group. He doesn't care about my opinions because he knows I will vote predictably and he knows I will either vote for him or against him and he won't sway me from my path.

There is only one possible way to regain a majority influence over America and that is to hit the opinion makers and politicians where it hurts, in the pocket book. Stop buying their products, accepting their charity or giving to their campaign chests.

[Clipper]

We also know many gays of both genders here in our area. Most of those that I am familiar with simply want to live their lives. Some would like to be married if the law is changed to permit it, but most simply want to quietly and peacefully enjoy each other's company without the loud and overly liberal gays campaigning and whining daily in the media.

I would even go so far as to favor gay marriage. I think that God creates ALL of us. He doesn't make junk. BUT with that said, I have to say that God made us either a man or a woman. He didn't intend for us to change horses mid stream. Other wise babies would come in hermetically sealed packaging with an accessory package and an instruction sheet. The instructions would tell us if we wanted a girl to toss away the "male attachments" bag. If we want a boy, attach the penis and testicles supplied by mixing the flesh colored epoxy with the flesh colored hardener, and press it in place over the female genitalia. THAT's the way God would have covered that possibility if he wanted us to be able to change or choose gender.