Federal Government Largely Continues to Discriminate Against Transgender Employees in Insurance Plans

OPM has uploaded the plan brochures for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for plan year 2015.  Prior research had already determined that none of the nationwide open-to-all plans would be removing the exclusion of coverage for transition-related care, but regional information was not yet available.  I lack the time to do a thorough 50-state survey, though OPM should be responding to my FOIA request seeking that information in the near future.

In the meantime, here are the insurance plans available in the DC Metro area (focused on HMOs and not HDHP, as HDHP is not a worthwhile insurance structure for individuals with regular expected health costs, such as regular hormone treatments).

National Fee-for-Service Open to All
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan (FEPBlue) – http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/plan-codes/2015/brochures/71-005.pdf – Maintains exclusion
National Fee-for-Service Plans Open Only to Specific Groups
Who may enroll in this Plan: Only eligible active and retired rural letter carriers of the U.S. Postal Service may enroll in this Plan. To enroll you must already be, or must immediately become, a member of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association
Who may enroll in this Plan: Annuitants (retirees and/or survivors) who are eligible for coverage under the Federal Employees Health  Benefits Program, who reside in Panama and who become a member of the Association.
Who may enroll in this Plan: You must be, or become, a member of the American Foreign Service Protective Association
Who may enroll in this Plan: Civilian Active and Retired employees of the following organizations: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Department of Defense/ Civilian and Civilian Retirees (DOD), Department of Energy, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Department of State, Department of Treasury, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), National Security Agency (NSA), Office of DNI (ODNI) and Affiliated Centers, Office of Naval Intelligence, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
HMOs
United Healthcare DC Metro – Plan doc not available due to file corruption; plan docs for non-DC regions indicate exclusion maintained (see, for instance http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/plan-codes/2015/brochures/73-105.pdf (CA UnitedHealthcare)).