Health officials in Canada are advocating for publicly funded minor aesthetic procedures for transgender individuals. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) published an editorial suggesting that treatments like hair removal and facial injectables should be covered by Canada’s Medicare, a publicly funded healthcare system. The authors, Dr. Katie Ross and Dr. Sarah Fraser from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, believe that these minimally invasive procedures should be considered for public health care funding across all Canadian jurisdictions, as they are low-risk and reversible compared to hormonal and surgical treatments. They also highlight the wide range of physicians who can perform these procedures.
Unlike Canada, the US does not provide universal healthcare, and healthcare coverage for gender-affirming care and minor feminizing procedures varies from policy to policy. However, if the US were to follow the guidelines proposed by the CMA article, individuals enrolled in government health insurance programs would have their procedures covered. Government-funded health insurance programs in the US include Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Veterans Health Administration, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The authors of the CMA article argue that these minimally invasive procedures could help compensate for delays in more invasive treatments like chest surgeries and genital reconstruction, which can have long waiting lists in the US. Currently, self-pay patients in the US can expect to pay between $8,500 and $49,500 for facial feminization surgery, depending on the extent of treatment.
Hair removal and other procedures like voice feminization and forehead reshaping can play a significant role in aiding the gender transition process for transgender individuals. While the medical necessity of these procedures is still a topic of debate, studies have shown that they can have positive effects on self-esteem, body image, and mental health for transgender individuals. The authors also note that publicly funded surgeries to change the shape of the ear have been available for children for years, highlighting the potential benefits of publicly funded aesthetic procedures.
Currently, only Manitoba and Yukon in Canada provide coverage for hair removal, with Yukon also covering facial feminization surgeries. The CMA article urges all provinces and territories to seriously consider public funding for these procedures.
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