Jason Hanasik

Oakland trans man endures fraught process for surgery

For the past 8 years, Oakland resident Eliot Daughtry has been trying to get three insurance agencies to approve his request for a hysterectomy. All three have denied him access to the procedure. On September 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began a 60-day public comment period on a proposed rule called “Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities.” If implemented, the Affordable Care Act’s ban on discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, or age would be amended to include gender identity.