Trans Military Healthcare Costs: A Doctor Speaks Out

The Takeaway | Jul 26, 2017

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

Yesterday, President Trump’s string of tweets barring transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, unleashed a fury of responses on both sides of the issue. He attributed his decision, in part, to the "tremendous medical costs" transgender military personnel would create.    

Gender-transition surgeries are not typically covered by the military, although the Obama Administration had laid the groundwork for it. An analysis from the RAND corporation estimates the annual costs could range from $2.4 to $8.4 million, or about one tenth of the $84 million the military spends on medications like Viagra and Cialis, for erectile dysfunction.

When it comes to trans people, what is the true cost for the U.S. military? For answers, The Takeaway turns to Dr. Jennifer Conti, a clinical assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University who works with transgender veterans.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich. 

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