Blue Cross of Kansas changes policy on transgender surgery

By MARGARET STAFFORD
Associated Press

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas says it is changing a policy that denied sex reassignment surgery to customers who did not legally change their names. The change announced Thursday comes after advocacy from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. They said Charley Osman, a transgender man, sought pre-authorization for two surgeries in June but was denied because he had not changed his name from the one he was given at birth. The advocacy groups argued the name change policy was discriminatory and had nothing to do with medical necessity.