Students, administration seek transparent health insurance for trans community

Just over a year ago, Tufts' student health insurance plan was expanded to cover a number of services for transgender individuals. Tufts is now one of 62 colleges and universities in the nation that cover gender reassignment surgery, and one of 82 that offer hormonal treatment.

According to Michelle Bowdler, Tufts' senior director of health and wellness service, the university switched to a new health insurance company, United Student Resources, which offers a plan with nearly full transgender benefits. Bowdler said that Tufts switched insurance companies because the new company's bid was lower than their previous company, Aetna.

She said that getting the benefits was a relatively small, but positive aspect of the deal.

“Part of the reason why it was such a good deal was because there was a balance between a small number of people using the benefit, but the importance to those small amount of people is very important,” Bowdler said.

The benefits offered by the Tufts' health insurance policyinclude gender reassignment surgery, hormones and counselling. Surgery is covered up to $500,000 for the time that one has the insurance plan. According to Bowdler, hormone refills are covered under the pharmacy benefit, which is unlimited.

Bowdler also said that students with Tufts insurance never have to pay more than $2,000 out of pocket in any given calendar year for surgery or any other medical expenses if the student goes in-network (it can be much higher if they use out of network providers or hospitals).

First-year Jaquelyn Hyde, however, was dissatisfied with the accessibility of information on the plan, describing it as a "maze." Hyde, who is transgender, organized the Enough is Enough rally for trans rights held a couple weeks ago.

According to Hyde, not only is the information given about the plan confusing, but also the plan itself doesn't offer full coverage for surgeries or hormones. According to them, when they tried to get hormones through the insurance plan, they were redirected to another hospital, and ended up having to pay co-pays and for refills out of pocket.

“It’s on them to know what the proper procedure is to deal with students that are going through hormonal changes,” Hyde said.

According to Bowder, the information from the insurance provider itself, not health service, is hard to navigate, and there seems to be a disconnect between health services, the resources they offer and the students seeking its help.

She said that it was common for students to try and tackle insurance on their own, and to not take advantage of health service's role as a middle man and a guide. According to her, the issue is with the insurance provider's website and how misleading and utterly confusing it is.

“I think people confuse Health Service being confusing and insurance being confusing," Bowdler said. "Insurance is a huge and confusing institution. I beseech students to come talk to us; we are doing our best to encourage people to let them help us understand them.”

There is, however, a disconnect between info on Health Service's page on LGBT services and the LGBT center's brochure on resources for trans students at Tufts that it links to. Although the page mentions the new transgender services, the apparently outdated brochure still lists Aetna as the school's insurance provider, and says that its services do not cover "'trans-related' hormone therapy/surgeries."

Currently, Health Service is working with the LGBT center to bridge the gap between the benefits offered and students' ability to take advantage of those benefits.

Nino Testa, the director of the LGBT center, said that services for transgender students will be the theme of an upcoming installment of their Qrunch series, a lunch/conversation that brings together students and faculty from across campus to talk about topics that can range from sexuality and cultural appropriation to racism in the LGBT community.

Testa says that this Qrunch will aim to help give students the information they need to navigate insurance and to take advantage of the resources offered by health service, as well as to discuss how to improve what is available.

“Because the plan is new, we need to do some work with students in educating -- what the benefits are and how they can access them," Testa said. "There are students who don’t have a clear sense of what is available and how they can access it."

Like Bowdler, Testa says that students should take advantage of the advice that the school provides.

"A lot of students feel that they have to do the research and start the process themselves, despite the resources available at Tufts; they shouldn’t, though," Testa said. "We want students to know that our staff is trained and ready to help."

People from all across campus will be present at the upcoming Qrunch, including members of Health Service, Res Life and the athletics department, and the event is open to all Tufts students. Representatives from Health Service will attempt to better explain the benefits and resources available for students.

“I have full faith in Health Service, and I want to work with students and Health Service so that we have good communication,” Testa said .

Bowlder and Testa both said that they are working on making a poster that clarifies the process of accessing health care related to gender surgeries and hormones, steps students can take and details on what exactly is covered by insurance.

“Everyone’s needs are different. Everyone has different interests. This document will help students with options,” Testa said.

The poster that is being created will be released this week, and will soon be available to students through Health Service.

While Tufts transgender benefits are relatively unique among other universities, and many see them as a step in the right direction, Hyde says that improvements need to be identified and put into place nonetheless.

“I think it’s important to recognize that it’s not a game of comparison," Hyde said. "Things may always be better in one place than in another. It’s important to do the work no matter where you are”