Insurance Coverage Sought for Sex Change

Camille Hopkins made local history two years ago by becoming the first city employee to openly transition from male to female in the workplace. Now, the former Gregory Hopkins wants the city to pay for an insurance rider that would cover some or all of the cost of a sex-change operation. Hopkins plans to travel to Montreal in April for the $14,000 surgery. "I consider this a medically necessary procedure, as do my doctors," Hopkins said. "It's correcting a birth defect."

The 54-year-old human resource planner remembers going to bed every night as a child praying to be a woman. Decades later, Hopkins did extensive research and concluded that a "biological error" caused the feelings. "I was stamped with a female's identity as a late surge of testosterone masculinized my body."

Hopkins has spent thousands of dollars on electrolysis and hormone therapy. Two years ago, Gregory Hopkins legally became Camille Stephanie Hopkins. All of this was happening in 2002, as the Common Council and Mayor Anthony M. Masiello signed a law expanding anti-discrimination protections to transsexuals. Advocates noted that the change does not extend additional fringe benefits to transsexuals, such as health insurance for their partners or insurance coverage for sex-change operations. Co-workers have dealt with the transition "reasonably well," said Hopkins, who has become an activist for transgendered people. But some complications have arisen. Until this spring, the only bathroom that Hopkins was authorized to use in City Hall was a toilet in a 17th floor janitor's closet.

When she began using a woman's restroom, one employee filed a complaint. In a compromise, a new lock was installed on the bathroom's main entrance, allowing any employee who feels uncomfortable to lock the door when it's in use. "I think the city has been doing a good job considering we have no previous experience with these issues," Hopkins said. "The city has stumbled on occasion, but to it's credit, things are being dealt with."

But one key issue remains unresolved - the question of whether the city will pay for an insurance rider for "sex-reassignment" surgery. Hopkins highlighted a list of private companies and municipalities that provide some level of transsexual health benefits. They include the City of San Francisco, IBM, Lucent Technologies and Apple Computer.

How much would amending the city's insurance policy to include sex-change operations cost? "We've never had a request for a rider like you're mentioning, so for us to price something like that would be pure pie-in-the-sky," said Laura Perry, director of corporate communications for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York. "We haven't done any actuarial research on it."

Hopkins has been talking with the president of the city's white-collar union in hopes of winning the group's support of an insurance rider. Michael F. Drennen was out of town and could not be reached to comment, and Michael H. Hoffert, union vice president, said he has not been involved in discussions. "I personally don't think it looks too promising because of the control board," Hoffert said. "We can't even get people the raises they're entitled to through step increases. My understanding is that this would be considered a unique benefit." For now, the Masiello administration isn't discussing the matter. "We have no comment whatsoever on the issue," said Matthew L. Brown, the mayor's communications chief.

In the longer term, Hopkins is working with others to find ways to strengthen enforcement of anti-bias measures to protect all victims of discrimination. No one, she said, is pushing for special treatment for transgendered individuals.

"We're just seeking equal rights - no more, no less."