TORONTO — Ontario wants to make it easier for transgender people to get a medical referral for sex reassignment surgery.
Currently, only the Gender Identity Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto can refer a patient for sex reassignment surgery, which is covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Health Minister Eric Hoskins is proposing a change that would allow all qualified health-care providers in Ontario to refer transgender patients for the surgery.
Hoskins says every Ontarian has the right to be who they are, and the health-care system should reflect that vision.
He says the new referral process for sex reassignment surgery will still be based on existing criteria and internationally recognized standards of care.
Anna Travers of Rainbow Health in Toronto says one of the most vulnerable times for transgender people is when they are ready for surgery, but face a prolonged wait.
"This change would reduce wait times by allowing many trans clients to get surgical approvals from their own local primary care teams," Travers said in a release.
The government says the number of people in Ontario asking for gender identity services has been on the increase in recent years.
The Ontario legislature unanimously passed legislation in June affirming the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities.
