Out-of-province travel is no longer required for transition-related surgery readiness assessments.
A list of those health care professionals offering these assessments is on the Department of Health and Community Services website here. Assessments will be completed in accordance with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care.
Individuals requiring insured transition-related surgery previously had to travel to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto to undergo a readiness assessment. Anyone on CAMH’s current wait list will have the choice to decide whether they want to remain on the wait list in Toronto or have an assessment done here.
Most people requiring transition-related surgery will still have to travel outside the province for the surgery itself. The province’s Medical Care Plan (MCP) covers the insured portions of the surgery completely. Financial assistance for travel is available through the Medical Transportation Assistance Program.
Making readiness assessments accessible in Newfoundland and Labrador builds on other actions the Department of Health and Community Services has taken to expand MCP coverage of transition-related procedures. MCP now covers mastectomy with chest masculinization, phalloplasty, metoidioplasty, and breast augmentation.
Quotes
“We know it has taken some time to get here. We wanted to get it right. We wanted to hear what people with lived experience had to say. We wanted to ensure we were being fair and inclusive. We wanted to be sure that in the end we designed a process that helps those who need it by removing any unnecessary barrier they may face.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Health and Communities Services
“Transgender individuals require healthcare that addresses our unique concerns and the combined layers of stigma associated with our identities overlap and impact all aspects of our lives. I’m proud of this government for working so diligently to ensure that transgender individuals have not only equal protection and rights under the law, but also one less barrier to face when it comes to our health.”
Gemma Hickey
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Learn more
Transition-Related Surgery Coverage Under MCP
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Media contacts
Kathy Dicks-Peyton
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-1982
kathydickspeyton@gov.nl.ca
Gemma Hickey
709-690-5244
gemmamhickey@gmail.com