For the most part, college health insurance tends to be rather poor. The network coverage is usually limited, and it’s often too expensive. Still, at many universities, it’s a requirement, so students have no choice but to incur extra debt for very little benefits.

Among the many, many things not covered by student health plans are transgender operations. However, Denise Conner, a member of Penn State’s Coalition of LGBTA Graduate Students, intends to change all that by lobbying against the University.

The Daily Collegian reports:

Conner and the task force are researching policies of other universities and companies in the hopes of finding a solution, she said.

 

For employees, transgender care is explicitly prohibited. For students, transgender care is not explicitly excluded under university health insurance. Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) is excluded under coverage for both employees and students, Conner said.

 

Current health insurance is in violation of the Penn State Administrative Policy AD42 Statement on Nondiscrimination and Harassment, Conner said.

 

The non-discrimination act states "the Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status."

Hmm – not sure penny-pinching stinginess on the behalf of the university warrants outcries of discrimination, but the point is still valid.

Hopefully, the task force succeeds, because it’s wholly unfair that other Big Ten schools, like Michigan, do pay for transgender operations.