Tuesday, December 17, 2013

University of Maryland Wants to Include Sex Changes to Insurance Coverage



University of Maryland Wants to Include Sex Changes to Insurance Coverage
by William Bigelow 17 Dec 2013, 3:52 AM PDT
The Diamondback, the University of Maryland’s student newspaper, is reporting that sex change operations may soon be required coverage under the university’s student health insurance plan. The newspaper states that the University’s health center has “submitted proposals to three separate companies detailing what the university would like its new plan to include” and “all include coverage of up to $100,000 for any kind of sexual reassignment procedure." The health center supervises the university’s student health plans.

The health care plan for students currently enrolled at the University of Maryland has no coverage for sex change operations or treatments. Some advocates for transgendered individuals believe the situation is discriminatory.

Nicholas Sakurai, the associate director of the LGBT Equity center at the university told The Diamondback that once sex changes were covered, that “would definitely bring us a lot [sic] to where we want to be to make sure we’re not discriminating as an institution.”

Joe Ehrenkrantz, diversity director for the student government, told The Diamondback that the lack of sex change coverage is "calculating discrimination into the cost of health insurance.”

Yet the group of students interested in sex changes is tiny; The Diamondback states that out of the 37,000 students, "The health center saw about five students for transgender care in the past two years, officials said, and one of those students used the insurance plan.”

Sacared Bodison, the health center director, said that with the added charges to all students that would result from adding sex changes to the university’s coverage, it is the price that will determine if the coverage is offered. Bodison said, “It is not a benefit many people would use, so it has to be weighed against all the other people who would pay extra money. I expect it to add to the premium. I’m just hoping it won’t add much.” She added that adding the coverage would increase the cost of students’ premiums roughly $15.

University of Maryland
William E. Kirwan was the president of the University of Maryland, is the chancellor for the University System of Maryland, and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Note: Donna S. Morea was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the EVP for the CGI Group Inc.
CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.
Obamacare is Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative.
Barbara G. Fast was a VP for the CGI Group Inc., and a VP at the Boeing Company.
Susan C. Schwab is a director at the Boeing Company, and a professor at the University of Maryland.
W. James McNerney Jr. is the chairman & president & CEO for the Boeing Company, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past Research)
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
William A. Galston is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a professor at the University of Maryland.
Carol L. Graham is a professor at the University of Maryland, and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development, the Brookings Institution (think tank), the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations,
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
Sherrilyn Ifill was an assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, is the chair, U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, and a law professor at the University of Maryland.
Jacques S. Gansler is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), a professor at the University of Maryland, and was an under secretary for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Chuck Hagel is the secretary for the U.S. Department of Defense, and is the chair for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
William E. Mayer is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), a trustee at the University of Maryland, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Lester Crown was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Robert S. Osborne is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the EVP & general counsel for Booz Allen Hamilton.
Edward Snowden was an employee at Booz Allen Hamilton, and leaked information about at the National Security Agency (NSA).
Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
Boeing Company is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
University of Maryland is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

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