Washington targets discrimination in the health insurance field

washington health insurance exchange

Insurance Commissioner Kreidler sends letter to insurers reminding them of the state’s laws Gender identity is often a controversial issue, especially when it comes to insurance coverage and health care. In Washington, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is looking to dispel some confusion surrounding this issue. The commissioner has sent a letter to the state’s health insurance companies, reminding these companies that there are laws in place that bar discrimination based on a person’s particular gender identity. In some cases, insurers have run afoul of these laws, denying coverage to some…

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Oregon faces lawsuit after state’s insurance plan denies coverage for transgendered public employee

Gender identity can be a sensitive issue, and one rarely touched upon by the insurance industry. Indeed, there are few occasion on which the insurance industry would get involved in such issues. Oregon, however, is among the first states in the U.S. to be subject to a lawsuit filed by a transgendered public employee. The lawsuit stems from the state’s health care insurance plan denying to pay for a medical procedure. Oregon’s public employee benefits board is being accused of discrimination in regard to gender identity. Alec Esquivel, a 41…

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