Veterans

VA to Cover Gender Confirmation Surgery for Transgender Veterans

June 21, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
trans march on dc transgender visibility

The 2019 National Trans Visibility March, Washington, D.C. Photo by Ted Eytan, via Flickr.

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to make gender confirmation surgery available to transgender veterans, VA Secretary Denis R. McDonough announced over the weekend at a Pride event in Orlando.


“We’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do, but because they can save lives,” McDonough said, according to The Associated Press.


The VA treats veterans based on their self-identified gender and covers hormone therapy, mental health care, preoperative evaluations, and “medically necessary” post-operative care, but does not pay for gender confirmation surgery itself. Coverage of “gender alterations” has been banned for two decades, since a 1999 medical benefits package explicitly excluded it.


The newly announced change will allow “transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side,” McDonough said. The secretary said fear of discrimination often prevents LGBTQ veterans, who he said suffer high rates of suicidal thoughts and mental illness, from seeking care.


Denis R. McDonough, then the White House chief of staff, delivers remarks at a farewell ceremony for outgoing Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Dec. 2, 2013. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton.

The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates that more than 15,000 trans people serve in the military, and that there are more than 134,000 transgender veterans. An administration official told The New York Times that internal estimates showed fewer than 4,000 veterans would be interested in gender confirmation surgery.


McDonough’s announcement is the latest move by President Joe Biden’s administration to expand benefits and protections for transgender people in the military. Biden signed an executive order against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation on his first day in office. On the fifth day of his presidency, Biden signed another order repealing a Trump administration ban on transgender troops serving in the military.


The VA secretary also announced Saturday that the department will change the name of its LGBT health program to the LGBTQ+ Health Program, The Times reported, adopting language that reflects “new community standards of inclusiveness” and anticipating future changes.


“Even something as simple as displaying VA-specific rainbow magnets has proven to make our hospitals more welcoming … signaling to LGBTQ+ vets that we are here for them,” McDonough said.


Read Next: Peace in the Clouds: How One of the World’s Deadliest Warriors Found His Zen



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
soflete
Soflete: How This Veteran-Led Company is Changing Military Fitness Culture

In 2014, Soflete’s co-founders saw workout overkill hurting their peers as they prepared for selecti...

glock 19
Glock 19: Origin Story of a Legendary Pistol

Get to know the Glock 19 — how it works, who uses it, and why it’s one of the most popular handguns in the US.

afghan soldier asylum
Afghan Soldier Who Helped US Weathers Injuries, Uncertainty in Asylum Bid

Afghan soldier who assisted the U.S. now faces uncertainty in bid for asylum.

The Dirty Dozen
‘The Dirty Dozen’: Meet D-Day’s Real Rogue Commandos

The Dirty Dozen was based on a real team of rule-breaking elite paratroopers who jumped into France ahead of D-Day.

d-day 79th anniversary
Normandy Marks D-Day's 79th Anniversary, Honors World War II Veterans

This year's D-Day tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy is not only a chance to honor t...

f-22 raptor
The F-22: The Superiority Fighter That Never Shot Down an Enemy Plane

The F-22 Raptor was designed to fight next-gen Russian fighters. So far its only air-to-air kills are a Chinese balloon and a UFO.

Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway: Where America's March to Victory Began

The US Navy outwitted and outfought the Imperial Japanese Navy to secure victory in the do-or-die Battle of Midway.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved