Ontarian wins legal battle for public funding of gender-affirming surgery [Video]

An Ontario resident has successfully secured public funding for a specialized gender-affirming surgery argued to be “experimental” by the provincial health insurer following a years-long legal battle.

The prospective patient, identified only as K.S. in documents filed with the provincial Health Services Appeal and Review Board (HSARB), was seeking coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for a penile-preserving vaginoplasty, a procedure in which a vaginal cavity is surgically created while keeping the penis intact.

Since 2023, K.S. has been engaged in a series of appeals to the review board following an initial denial by OHIP to cover the surgery. On April 10, a final appeal launched by OHIP was dismissed by the Divisional Court of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

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K.S., whose identity is protected under a publication ban, identifies as non-binary. She presents as predominantly female …