Dear USPATH Members,

As noted in our March Newsletter, USPATH is partnering with Whitman-Walker Institute to gather member input on a variety of topics. Below are additional details of this first survey seeking input from surgical care providers. For more information about the survey, please contact Caroline Medina (cmedina@PROTECTED).

Summary: Whitman-Walker Institute invites USPATH members to participate in a brief survey of surgical care providers to gather evidence about Medicare coverage for gender-affirming care. Specifically, the Institute is interested in understanding challenges that surgeons (and their billing managers) face when providing care to transgender Medicare beneficiaries and seeking reimbursement through either traditional Medicare and/or Medicare Advantage. Survey findings will be paired with analysis of the Medicare Part C appeals database to inform policy recommendations to improve access to medically necessary health care and health insurance coverage through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. More information about the survey’s data privacy protections are available here. It may be helpful to fill this out in consultation with your institution’s billing manager. Please take this opportunity to share your experiences and support our work to advance evidence-based policy solutions to ensure equitable access to care for transgender patients across the country!

About Whitman-Walker Institute: Whitman-Walker Institute leverages research, policy, and education to advance health equity for communities across the country, particularly LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. The Institute is affiliated with Whitman-Walker Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center with more than 50 years of service to diverse communities across the Washington, D.C. area and nationwide. The Institute hosts a Research Department with decades of clinical and applied research experience, as well as a Policy Department with nationally recognized expertise in LGBTQI+ health, gender-affirming care, data policy, insurance reform, and HIV law and policy.

Click Here to Complete the Survey

Thank you, 
USPATH Board