Today, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough announced his commitment to removing the categorical exclusion of transition-related surgical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health plan and to providing comprehensive health care for transgender veterans. Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Sasha Buchert issued the following statement:
Today, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough announced his commitment to removing the categorical exclusion of transition-related surgical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health plan and to providing comprehensive health care for transgender veterans. Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Sasha Buchert issued the following statement:
(Washington, D.C., May 10, 2016) –Late yesterday, Lambda Legal and Transgender Law Center, with co-counsel WilmerHale, petitioned with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to change the rule that categorically excludes transition-related surgery for transgender veterans. The petition was filed on behalf of two individual veterans, Dee Fulcher and Gio Silva, and a group representing transgender veterans, the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA).
