Lack of Insurance Tied to Non-Rx Hormone Use in Transgender Adults

TUESDAY, Nov. 17, 2020 — Lack of insurance coverage for gender-affirming hormones is associated with a lower likelihood of hormone use and higher odds of use of nonprescription hormones among transgender adults, according to a study published in the November issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

Daphna Stroumsa, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues used data from the U.S. Transgender Survey (August to September 2015) to evaluate associations between insurance coverage for gender-affirming hormones and patterns of hormone use.

The researchers found that among 12,037 transgender adults using hormones, 9.17 percent were using nonprescription hormones. More than one in five insured respondents (20.81 percent) reported that their claims were denied. Respondents who were uninsured (odds ratio, 2.64) or whose claims were denied (odds ratio, 2.53) were more likely to use nonprescription hormones. Hormone use was less likely among uninsured respondents (odds ratio, 0.37).

“Ensuring access to hormones can decrease the economic burden transgender people face, and is an important part of harm-reduction strategies,” the authors write.

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