- How do I update my sex, gender, pronouns, or preferred name in my electronic medical record?
- How do I update my sex in my health insurance?
- What services will my insurance cover?
- I’m covered as a dependent or family member on someone else’s health insurance policy. Will that person find out if I start hormonal treatment?
- What types of medical services are available to transgender patients at MIT Health?
How do I update my sex, gender, pronouns, or preferred name in my electronic medical record?
For sex information:
MIT Health uses information from the MIT Registrar and MIT Human Resources systems to initially define the sex information in the electronic medical record. Any changes made in the Registrar or HR systems after the initial upload to MIT Health will not automatically update MIT Health's electronic medical record. Use this form to update your sex in MIT Health’s electronic medical record.
For gender, pronouns, and preferred name information:
MIT Health collects gender, pronoun, and preferred name information. Changes made in the Registrar or HR systems do not automatically update MIT Health's electronic medical record. Use this form to update your gender, pronouns, or preferred name in MIT Health’s electronic medical record.
How do I update my sex in my health insurance?
For students enrolled in the MIT Student Insurance Plan (SHIP):
You can update your sex in the MIT Registrar's system. This update will be automatically passed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
For employees enrolled in an MIT-sponsored insurance plan:
You can update your sex in the MIT Human Resource system. This update will be automatically passed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
For students, employees and individuals with other insurance:
Contact your health insurance company directly.
Note: The sex you have selected in your MIT Health medical record must match the information in your health insurance record. Any mismatches could lead to incorrectly denied insurance claims.
What services will my insurance cover?
The chart below is intended to provide general information on services that are covered by health insurance. Note that certain covered services require an initial out-of-pocket payment that is later reimbursed. For complete details, see Gender Affirming Services [PDF] from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Students may contact the MIT Student Insurance Office at stuplan@med.mit.edu and employees may contact MIT Benefits at benefits@mit.edu or call 617-253-6151 for more information.
| Health insurance | Visits with MIT providers | Blood tests | Hormone therapy | Gender affirming surgery | Fertility preservation | Hair removal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT Student Health Insurance Plan (MIT SHIP) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited coverage | Related to genital surgery: Yes Facial/Body hair removal: Yes |
| MIT PPO+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited coverage | Related to genital surgery: Yes |
| Non-MIT insurance | Check with insurance company | Check with insurance company | Check with insurance company | Check with insurance company | Check with insurance company | Check with insurance company |
I’m covered as a dependent or family member on someone else’s health insurance policy. Will that person find out if I start hormonal treatment?
MIT Health will not release information about your medical care or laboratory testing to anyone without your written consent, including parents or other family members. However, your insurance company will send you an explanation of benefits, which may include some of that information. Even though it will be addressed to you, it will be sent to the mailing address associated with your insurance plan, which might be your parents’ home address or the address of another family member. If you want these documents sent to a different address, you need to make sure that the insurance company has your preferred mailing address on file. For more information about the specific documents your insurance company sends out and where they will be sent, call the insurance company’s billing department.
What types of medical services are available to transgender patients at MIT Health?
In addition to routine primary care, certain clinicians at MIT Health offer the following specialized services for transgender patients:
- Medical treatment for gender affirmation and associated monitoring
- Mental health counseling for undergraduate and graduate students with concerns around gender identity and/or gender dysphoria
- Mental health counseling for faculty, staff, postdocs – and families with concerns around gender identity and/or gender dysphoria are available through MIT’s MyLife Services.
- Mental Health and Primary Care consultation for supportive documentation and referral for surgical treatment; as required by insurance plans and accepted standards of care
- Supporting documentation for name and gender marker changes as designated by state and federal standards