Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Tremendous Cost' Put In Perspective: Military Spends 10 Times More On Viagra Than Transgender Services
Stat: Trump Says It's Too Pricey To Have Transgender Troops. Here's The Truth
But at least two studies in recent years have found that the cost of medical care for transgender service members would be minimal. A June 2016 study from the RAND Corporation estimated that there were between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender active-duty service members — out of 1.3 million service members in total — and noted that not all of them would seek treatment related to gender transitioning. The study also estimated that the cost associated with medical care for gender transition would only increase military health care expenditures by between $2.4 million and $8.4 million each year — an increase of between 0.04 and 0.13 percent. (Joseph, 7/26)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Trump Cites Medical Costs As Reason For Transgender Military Ban
A RAND Corp. study published last year estimated there are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender members in active service, only a segment of whom would pursue treatment to medically transition. (Christ, 7/26)
The Washington Post: How Much Transgender Troops' Medical Care Costs The Military
By contrast, total military spending on erectile dysfunction medicines amounts to $84 million annually, according to an analysis by the Military Times — 10 times the cost of annual transition-related medical care for active duty transgender servicemembers. (Ingraham, 7/26)
Cox Media Group: Report: Transgender Health Care Would Cost Fraction Of What Military Spends On Viagra, Similar Drugs
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that “tremendous medical costs” were partially behind his decision to bar transgender Americans from serving in the military. However, a report from The Washington Post showed that estimates for the cost of caring for transgender service members amount to just a fraction of what the military currently spends on erectile dysfunction drugs. (Seiger, 7/26)
