As reported this week an article appearing in them.—a Condé Nast publication devoted to “the lens of today’s LGBTQ community”—the Seattle-based international coffee brand Starbucks is said to have just adopted the “most comprehensive trans health policy in the world.”
According to the article, the new policy is a “direct parallel” with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) international recommendations for trans healthcare. This is the result of Starbucks working directly with WPATH to create the new benefits package, expanding the company’s trans benefits that have included gender reassignment surgery since 2012. The new packages, called “Starbucks Transgender Medical Benefits,” extends to “lifetime coverage for everything from hair graft and voice therapy to facial feminization and breast augmentation—services considered vital for transgender healthcare but often listed as ‘cosmetic’ and not covered by health insurance.”
Per the article, Starbucks is the first company to approach WPATH about turning their Standards of Care—a 120-page document list of care guidelines and provider recommendations—into a corporate policy. Much like with their findings that led the company to 100% pay equity, Starbucks is hoping to share these new policies created in tandem with WPATH with other employers looking to provide more trans-inclusive benefits.
For more information on the Starbucks Transgender Medical Benefits, the company’s announcement can be found here.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Top image via Starbucks.
