Starbucks announced that it will cover all steps of its transgender employees’ transition surgeries, and that it will help trans employees find appropriate doctors and healthcare providers.
Most insurers that cover transgender procedures cover only bottom surgery (reconstructing sexual organs), and do not offer the comprehensive care that Starbucks has promised – which will include even smaller procedures necessary for a complete transition, but previously considered cosmetic. Trans advocates emphasize that medical transition is actually a multi-year process requiring a number of procedures, not a single surgery.
Starbucks has covered bottom surgery since 2012; it was one of the first major employers to do so.
Ron Crawford, Vice President of Benefits, tells Pink News that he hopes Starbucks can serve as an example for other companies: “Nobody else is doing this. We would love to see more employers doing this.”
Read more at Pink News