OPINION:
Contrary to your reporting in “Skeptics urge caution as transgender surgeries skyrocket” (Web, March 5), there is a scientifically based consensus among medical experts and researchers that transition-related surgeries are safe, effective and medically necessary.
Indeed, for some transgender people, these procedures are the only effective treatment. Nevertheless, a lawyer and a political philosopher with no expertise in the field opine that there is no conclusive evidence that these surgeries are beneficial. In fact, there are several decades of scientific and clinical research supporting the necessity of these surgeries, which have been proven to be highly effective.
Given that private insurers, Medicare and state Medicaid plans have only recently started covering this critical care, it is no surprise that more people are seeking surgery. This is not a moment for caution; it is a watershed moment in which the insurance industry recognizes the effectiveness of procedures that truly meet patient needs.
JAMIE L. FELDMAN
Minneapolis
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