Transgender Health Care Access Project (HCAP)

Most people in this country have difficulty finding a health care plan that fits into their monthly budget and provides them with comprehensive coverage. For transgender and gender non-conforming people, transphobia and other forms of discrimination sometimes make getting basic health care difficult or impossible. Therefore, HCAP works throughout California to increase full access to health care for transgender people and their families. HCAP receives specific support from individual donors, the California Endowment, California Wellness, and the Liberty Hill Foundation.

Through HCAP, TLC produces "Know Your Rights" pamphlets in English and Spanish to help people better understand the barriers that can prevent them from receiving full access to health care. We also present Transgender Health Law 101 workshop that familiarizes people with laws and regulations that they may use to better access care or seek remedies in case of discrimination. Participants are also provided with patient advocacy skills-building exercises to increase their ability to prevent discrimination in the first place. Finally, we work directly with health service providers who want to insure that they are providing accessible and non-discriminatory services.

In 2006, TLC, in cooperation with local partners, launched innovative, community-based organizing campaigns to secure transgender specific care in Alameda, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara Counties. For instance, along with FTM Alliance of Los Angeles, we helped to create C3 (the Community Clinic Campaign) and have produced several informational videos explaining the campaign (you can view them at: www.youtube.com/profile?user=FTMAofLA). In Alameda County, the local planning committee held their first transgender health care town hall. You can read the summary here.Check out our Events page for more information and future events.

Los Angeles County HCAP

Alameda County HCAP

Dr Barry Zevin of Tom Waddell Health Center testified at the townhall

Media
TLC Deputy Director Cecilia Chung Discuss Transgender Healthcare Access with Barbara Rodgers on Bay Sunday

Reports
A Report Back from Alameda County Transgender Health Care Access Town Hall (with full length video)

Resources
Medi-Cal Fact Sheet
Medi-Cal Fact Sheet co-created with Bay Area Legal Aid highlighting Medi-Cal access issues.

10 Tips for Working with Transgender Patients
This fact sheet helps providers understand the barriers that can exist between transgender people and our families and good health care. It also gives common-sense tools to providers to work with patients to improve quality of care.

Transgender Health and the Law
Transgender Health and the Law is a fact sheet covering health access issues faced by transgender people and their families

Funded, in part, by: The California Endowment, the California Wellness Foundation, and the Liberty Hill Foundation

All content copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Transgender Law Center
870 Market Street
Room 823
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-865-0176 phone
877-847-1278 fax
info@transgenderlawcenter.org