Power

Chicago to Cover Transition-Related Care for City Employees

Starting this fall, transgender people who work for the City of Chicago can start getting medical insurance coverage for gender alignment surgery, under a change in policy announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday.

Starting this fall, transgender people who work for the City of Chicago can start getting medical insurance coverage for gender alignment surgery, under a change in policy announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday. Shutterstock

Starting this fall, transgender people who work for the City of Chicago can start getting medical insurance coverage for gender alignment surgery, under a change in policy announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday.

“Chicago is known for being a city that is welcoming to all and inclusive of every resident, and this new policy is in line with our efforts to support the rights and well-being of transgender individuals,” Emanuel said. “With this change, Chicago will ensure that transgender city employees are able to receive the medical care that they need.”

The new policy, which is expected to get final approval from the city Benefits Committee by mid-August, will only apply to non-union workers, but Mayor Emanuel says he is working with unions to make a similar change.

City employees and their dependents interested in transition-related health care will get coverage up to $100,000 in their lifetime, according to LGBTQ Nation.

Once the policy takes effect on October 1, Chicago will become the largest city to provide transition-related care to its employees. San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. have also started including transgender-specific health care in their insurance plans.