Creating Equal Access to Quality Health Care for Transgender Patients

SUMMARY

In conjunction with Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBT Rights Committee (Anna Pohl, Chair) updated its 2013 report recommending hospital policies to ensure equal access to health care for transgender patients. Transgender people have become widely recognized as a group that faces significant barriers to equal, consistent and high-quality health care. From instances of humiliation and degradation to outright refusals to provide care, many institutions—consciously or not—have made it very difficult for transgender people to receive respectful, knowledgeable treatment. The end result often has been disengagement from the health care system that results in poor health outcomes for transgender people and need for emergency care. Adopting transgender-inclusive health care practices can reduce the costs associated with complications that arise when transgender patients are denied or delay medical treatment due to discrimination.