Follow-Up

Insurance Agrees To Cover Transgender Fraternity Brother’s Surgery

ht_transgender_donnie_collins_nt_130227_wg(Courtesy of Emerson College)

You may remember when the fraternity brothers of Phi Alpha Tau went on a mission to raise money for their brother, Donnie Collins, who was seeking to undergo chest reconstruction surgery. The surprise move came after Collins’ insurance denied approval of the surgery, leaving the 19-year-old FTM student without a way to cover the costs. Thankfully, we know what happened next.

However, Phi Alpha Tau wasn’t the only one to seek support for Collins. Emerson sought clarification from the college’s insurance provider on why it initial rejected the medical procedure. According to a statement released by officials, Aetna had not updated their internal documents to reflect the school’s benefits for transgender medical care. “This inaccuracy led to the rejection of coverage,” officials said.

Now, Collins is only responsible for a $2,000 co-pay and post-op care, relieving him of extensive debt. Meanwhile, following media attention, Phi Alpha Tau raised over $20,000 from supporters. The extra money will now be donated to the Jim Collins Foundation, a charity that grants money for sex reassignment surgery.

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