A 58-year-old British transsexual identified only as “C” lost a unique claim in England when Judge David Bean ruled that the state-funded health service’s refusal to pay for a breast enlargement was not a violation of her human rights.
“C” argued that she was suffering from gender identity disorder (GID) and that hormone treatment had failed to fully develop her breasts. She insisted that, absent state support, she would be left in physical and psychological “limbo.”
The West Berkshire Primary Care Trust decided that breast enlargement was not an essential part of GID treatment and Judge Bean agreed.
Bean has some interesting prior experience: he was the judge ruling in the Boy George case, here.
For the full story, click here.
I am sure that there are many women across GB who could also claim that their self esteem has been negatively affected due to being underdeveloped. If the health care system is the same in Britan as it is in Canada ( which I believe it is ) women making such a claim would also not have breast implants paid for with tax dollars.
Alex: you’re right, I stand corrected. Then I see no reason why this surgery was denied when its normal procedure for gender reassignment.
Does the NHS pay for facial reconstruction surgery after a car accident? Do they pay for breast reconstruction after accidents or cancer surgery? It seems to me that if you’re covering gender reassignment overall, then the relatively minor and routine procedure of breast augmentation is all part of that coverage. Either you have a health system that helps people to look “normal” (e.g. facial reconstruction after an accident) or you don’t.
As a British taxpayer I support the judge’s decision. The NHS is severely overstretched and I personally would rather the money went to treat cancer or something rather than give someone a boob job.
She was very lucky that the PCT has been paying for her treatment at all as many PCTs refuse funding. She’s not at imminent risk of dying, so how about she earns the money to pay for it herself.
Ryan: You’re misreading the story. Her alias is ‘C’, her breast size isn’t stated in the article, or any other on the same case that I can find, only that she doesn’t consider them “appropriate” to her “size and frame”.
While getting breast implants is an important and almost always necessary step in transgender treatment, the fact that this woman already has a C cup makes it really hard to believe that its been a set back for her treatment.
Now I would have serious issues if the results were different. Secondary sexual characteristics are a major part of gender reassignment treatment and to claim that treating this disorder would be a waste of taxpayer money because the perception of the people suffering from it is lacking in empathy to say the least. People suffering from untreated GID have a suicide rate near 50%, something I wish more politicians would think about when they ban treatment under state Medicaid plans.
Seems like she needs psychoterapy for her self esteem rateher than a breast enlargement. Bravo for the British courts for denying this waste of taxpayer money.
I guess this give news meaning to Bean counter….Let us all now do the Limbo Dance the Gender Limbo….