Australia considers Medicare funding for gender reassignment surgeries

The Daily Mail reported that Australian taxpayers could soon help cover the cost of more than 30 types of gender reassignment surgery under Medicare. The proposal aims to expand Medicare rebates for procedures that patients currently pay for largely out of their own pockets. [1]

According to the Daily Mail, some of these procedures cost tens of thousands of dollars. Vaginoplasty can cost up to $60,000, while facial feminisation surgery can cost up to $80,000. [1]

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has applied for new Medicare Benefits Schedule items, the Daily Mail reported. These items would cover consultations and gender-affirming surgery for adults diagnosed with gender incongruence. [1]

Transgender people are individuals who identify as a gender that differs from their sex assigned at birth. In some cultures, transgender people occupy a distinct third gender role with separate traditional social and ceremonial functions. [2]