Massachusetts
— College students rarely concern themselves
with the topic of health insurance, often leaving the
matter to parents. Most college students do not have to
worry about not being covered by insurance
companies.
While Suffolk
<http://www.suffolk.edu/>
prides itself on diversity, for a group of students,
their differences were overlooked by the health insurance
plans offered by Suffolk. The oversigh was corrected as
of March.
Until recently,
transgender students attending Suffolk were not covered
for hormone treatment under Suffolk's health insurance
plan. The university requires that all students use the
health insurance plan that is offered, unless they have
their own plan.
Coverage will become
available starting August 15 for all transgender
students. "I'm really pleased," said Suffolk's GLBT
president, John D'Agosta.
The policy covers the
student's medical expenses in the form of hormones and
psychiatric care, something that had not previously been
offered.
Though the policy does
not cover surgical procedures, it is not something that
D'Agosta feels is necessary for GLBT students because the
policy does not cover surgery for other
students.
Director of Health
Services Sharon Yardley commented on the new services to
be covered by the health insurance.
In an article published
by Bay Windows <http://www.baywindows.com/>,
New England's largest GLBT publication, Yardley admitted
that she was not aware of the lack of coverage for
transgender students until a student raised the
issue.
"It was brought to my
attention in September by a transgender student on campus
that we had an exclusion in our policy [that I hadn't
noticed]," said Yardley. "And once it was brought to
my attention I felt it was discriminatory because it
names a whole class of people who can't get hormone
benefits."
In October of 2005,
Suffolk Law and The Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar
Association <http://www.mlgba.org/>
held a panel to discuss discrimination of transgender
individuals.
From that point on, the
gears of change have been turning and the results were
announced in March.
D'Agosta stated that it
was nice to witness the support that Suffolk
offers.
"Suffolk University has
done a lot," said D'Agosta in regards to the steps that
the university has done for GLBT students on campus.
He pointed to the
recently created President's Commission on the Status of
GLBT Faculty, Staff and Students and their efforts to
create awareness of GLBT issues.
D'Agosta added that the
fact that there is awareness of the GLBT community at
Suffolk, "means that there is something in place and a
way to be heard."
