According to Out Front Minnesota (in the 26 page complaint), they "represent" 1500-2000 gay and transgendered people, but don't quantify how many are transgendered. The complaint says prior to 2005 "a couple" surgeries were approved per year.
It doesn't matter to me how many people are affected, because I'm opposed to the use of tax payer funds for what I perceive as purely elective cosmetic surgery-- whether that's a breast augmentation, or a subcutaneous mastectomy. (If Thomas had breast cancer, I'd be fine with funding mastectomy +/- reconstruction.)
My issue is that again, transgendered people want to be in a separate category with MORE rights and MORE coverage than is offered to non-transgendered people.
Take, for instance, a woman who is on medicaid who has infertility. Infertility is arguably a very emotional and psychologically debilitating condition for SOME women. Yet we would not consider covering all methods of assisted reproductive technology simply "on request" of the medicaid recipient, for as many times and tries as they wanted. Nor does the state cover the costs of adoption, or elective pregnancy termination, or teeth whitening, or facelifts, etc. There is a limit to what is,
and should be, covered, IMO.
When you are taking welfare medical benefits because you cannot (or will not) provide for yourself, I don't think you have a "right" to any elective services you desire. That's just my opinion. Basic care should be covered, and emergency care, but not things like cosmetic surgeries.
Evan Thomas is receiving hormonal therapy covered by medicaid, and more importantly, IMO, he IS covered for mental health care. It is the mental health care component, IMO, that is "medically necessary," not the bilateral mastectomy.
The complaint is an interesting read. Evan Thomas has a PhD, in Behavioral Neuroscience, who worked for a short time at Johns Hopkins early in his career. He is a very educated person, who understands psychology, and the medical system. He is not an intellectually vulnerable, undereducated, person who has been dependent on social welfare programs for his entire life. His gender dysphoria in the academic environment at Johns Hopkins prompted him to leave that type of academic work, and become a furniture refinisher. His business failed 3 years ago, and only then did he seek social welfare programs and medicaid, and it was in April of this year that he sought (at age 63) the breast surgery at taxpayer expense. I see his life choices as part of his situation where he chose to go on medicaid. Also note that in under 2 years he will be medicare eligible.
This man, IMO, is absolutely smart enough to figure out how to pay for the elective surgery he desires, without the tax payers footing the bill-- just as lots of other people who want elective cosmetic surgery do.
OutFront Minnesota employs 15 people, and gets grants for all sorts of things. If Out Front MN wanted to fund his bilateral mastectomy, it would be cheaper than pushing this kind of a civil lawsuit against the State of MN, IMO.
I'm not opposed to Evan Thomas having his elective surgery, but I am opposed to my tax dollars paying for it-- especially given his life career choices. And yes, that is discrimination-- which I think is reasonable and prudent for this kind of thing. Money doesn't grow on trees. We discriminate against funding other kinds of elective cosmetic surgery all the time.
Why should the emotional distress of transgendered people be "more important" or "more severe" than those with infertility? Or those with a big nose who want it smaller? Or those who are embarrassed because they have rotten teeth, or missing teeth, or no teeth at all? Or those that want to modify any body part to make different or more acceptable to them? There are plenty of people on medicaid who want elective surgery. And there are many more on medicaid who barely get the basics they need to stay alive. I know some will think I'm heartless, but I just don't think elective surgery for transgendered people is medically necessary on any level. It may make them "feel better" about their appearance, but the same could be said for anyone who wants any kind of cosmetic surgery.
I don't think Evan Thomas is an effective, sympathetic plaintiff to be the one bringing this lawsuit against the State of MN. JMO.
Here's the 26 page complaint:
http://www.aclu-mn.org/files/8714/5037/1921/Transition_related_ban_complaint.pdf
