Cutting sex-change coverage necessary, says Alberta health minister

Edmonton Journal, Canada
Cutting sex-change coverage necessary, says Alberta health minister
By Trish Audette, edmontonjournal.com
April 14, 2009 3:04 PM

EDMONTON — Health Minister Ron Liepert wondered Tuesday whether
Alberta needs an expert panel to determine what is medically necessary
as his government continues to make "tough decisions" about what
should be covered by the province.

During Tuesday's question period, about three dozen people who support
the province's transgendered community — or who themselves are waiting
for gender reassignment surgery— sat in the legislature's public
gallery and listened to Liepert explain that the medical procedure is
not the only service being cut.

He confirmed the 26 Albertans currently in line to undergo gender
reassignment will have their surgeries covered by the province, and 20
more people on the verge of being approved will also be covered.

Beyond that, however, Liepert stuck to the province's plan to cut
$700,000 from health care spending by ending the coverage of gender
reassignment surgeries.

"Unless we get a handle on expenditures, we won't have a publicly
funded health care system," he said.

The transgendered community was blindsided by the province's decision
to cut the program last week. For individuals, the costs of gender
reassignment surgery can amount to as much as $80,000.

Liepert has said the decision was not political, but a matter of a
line-by-line analysis of spending.

The other major cut to public health care spending was $53 million,
saved by cutting funding to chiropractic services.

"Our interest, of course, is to be here as peaceful witnesses to this
issue," said Jan Lukas Buterman, who was among the people who met on
the legislature's front steps before question period.

On Wednesday, members of the transgendered community are expected to
file human rights complaints in Calgary and Edmonton.

taudette@thejournal.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Health/Cutting+change+coverage+necessary+Liepert/1495792/story.html