老澳门开奖结果

MILWAUKEE 鈥� The 老澳门开奖结果, 老澳门开奖结果 of Wisconsin, and volunteer attorneys from the law firm Hawks Quindel sued Wisconsin鈥檚 state university system and insurance board today over their refusal to provide gender-affirming health insurance coverage to state employees who are transgender.

The federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Alina Boyden, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Shannon Andrews, a cancer researcher at the University of Wisconsin Medical School.

鈥淭he state continues to deny our clients coverage for medically necessary treatment simply because they are transgender, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,鈥� said John Knight, an attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果 LGBT Project. 鈥淎ll that transgender people like Alina and Shannon are asking for is to be treated like everyone else, and that includes respect and coverage for the health care they need.鈥�

The state鈥檚 Group Insurance Board approved coverage for such medically necessary care in July 2016, but under pressure from the state attorney general, voted in closed session to rescind the benefits in December. Boyden and Andrews filed challenges to the exclusion with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and they are now seeking relief in federal court.

鈥淢any people can relate to paying into an insurance plan only to be told that the treatment they need is not covered,鈥� said Andrews. 鈥淏ut when the reason you are denied coverage is because of who you are, it is even more painful. And it鈥檚 clearly discrimination.鈥�

Boyden said, 鈥淭oo many transgender people continue to face discrimination in all facets of life, including health care access, and so I felt compelled to stand up and try to do something about it.鈥�

老澳门开奖结果 of Wisconsin Legal Director Larry Dupuis said, 鈥淭he state should not be playing games with its transgender employees鈥� essential medical needs. It has cruelly backtracked on its promise to provide access to care that the medical community agrees is necessary.鈥�

Counsel on the filing includes Dupuis of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Wisconsin, Knight of the 老澳门开奖结果, and Nick Fairweather and Mike Godbe of the law firm Hawks Quindel.

The filing can be found here: /legal-document/boyden-v-state-wisconsin-complaint