More U.S. Companies Covering Transgender Surgery

SAN FRANCISCO - More and more large corporations, including
Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup and Walt Disney, are covering surgery for
transgender employees as part of their health plans.

The trend follows a concerted push by transgender rights
advocates to get employers and insurers to see sex reassignment the
way the American Medical Association does - as a medically
indicated rather than an optional procedure.

The number is expected to go up dramatically this year, when the
nation's largest gay rights lobbying group adds availability of
surgery-inclusive medical benefits to the criteria in its annual
corporate diversity report card.

Kraft Foods, AT&T, Yahoo!, Eastman Kodak, Sears and State Farm
are among 85 large businesses and law firms that cover the cost of
at least one surgery.