The City of Tempe is augmenting its health plan to cover specific benefits for employees and their dependents who are transgender. The change will cover medical and psychological services as well as gender reassignment surgery. The coverage will begin on Jan. 1, 2017.
The City of Tempe Diversity Office has been exploring these options for years. Employee requests for this coverage spurred City of Tempe to take action.
Abby Louise Jensen, a board member of Equality Arizona and Vice President and General Counsel of the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, said in a press release, “The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the Endocrine Society and every other major medical association in the U.S. agree that these treatments are medically necessary and beneficial,” Jensen said. “Experience also shows that when employers affirm and support their transgender employees and their employees with transgender dependents, they gain loyal, committed and productive employees. So this step will benefit not just its employees, but the city as well.”