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VA Struggling to Make Decision About Paying for Sex Reassignment Surgery. Here's What's Happening.

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Officials at Veterans Affairs are still trying to figure out whether or not they should fund sex reassignment surgeries for transgender veterans after strong pushes from advocates who want the surgery covered.

The obvious answer should be no, for a plethora of reasons, but most notably, because this is a procedure that is reflective of a lifestyle choice and has nothing to do with securing the bodily health of the individuals seeking this sort of treatment.

Last week, a group of 83 House members (82 Democrats and one Republican) petitioned VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to make the change, calling the current department policy discriminatory and potentially harmful to the health of those veterans.

“Simply put, the VA has an obligation to provide the necessary care that is prescribed to enrolled veterans by their health care practitioners,” the group said in a letter to Wilke.

“It is unconscionable to deny veterans the same access to health care services that civilians receive in the private sector, and that is available to Medicare beneficiaries and federal workers, simply because of outdated and unscientific prejudice against their gender identity.”

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Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., led that effort and in a statement called it “unacceptable that we would ask our veterans to risk their lives to protect our rights but we would refuse to defend theirs in return.”

VA spokesman Curt Cashour said the department is reviewing comments collected during the summer on the issue and will announce any changes through formal federal channels.

In his confirmation hearing in July, Wilkie pledged the department would ensure that veterans seeking help from his VA “will all be treated with the respect and the support they deserve.”

It’s dangerous to offer to cover this kind of procedure because it’s encouraging someone to dive deep into their own mental illness instead of treating it so these folks can lead normal, well adjusted lives.

Many individuals who have sex reassignment surgery come to regret doing so later in life, which leads to depression and an increased risk of suicide. It’s really not healthy to feed someone’s delusions.

This is pretty simple issue. Our tax dollars should not go for such a procedure. Period. Let’s hope that’s how they rule on the matter.

Source: Military Times

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