Big news:  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ruled that Medicare can cover s

Big news:  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ruled that Medicare can cover sex-reassignment surgery for transgender people.

The program has had a blanket ban on gender transition–related surgical procedures for more than 30 years. But in a ruling last week, HHS’s Departmental Appeals Board threw out the ban, saying it is unreasonable and contrary to current science and medical standards of care, think-progress reports. As Kellan Baker explains,

The lifting of the coverage exclusion means that transgender Medicare beneficiaries will now be able to seek individualized review of the medical necessity of the specific procedure they need, just like anyone seeking coverage for any other medical treatment.

Medicare provides health insurance coverage for 48 million seniors and people with disabilities. The ruling is the result of a challenge by groups including the ACLU, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. It follows similar decisions by five states and the District of Columbia, all of which have held that across-the-board exclusions for transition-related care by private health plans are discriminatory and unlawful, the Transgender Law Center notes.

More reaction here.

(Image via Think Progress)