吃瓜不打烊

Skip to main content

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Subscribe Follow Us
  • Trump 2.0

    Trump 2.0

    • Agency Watch
    • State Watch
    • Rural Health Payout
  • Public Health

    Public Health

    • Vaccines
    • CDC & Disease
    • Environmental Health
    All Public Health
  • Audio Reports

    Audio Reports

    • What the Health?
    • Healthcare Helpline
    • 吃瓜不打烊 Minute
    • An Arm and a Leg
    • Health Hub
    • HealthQ
    • Silence in Sikeston
    • Epidemic
    All Audio
  • Special Reports

    Special Reports

    • Bill Of The Month
    • Common Ground
    • Diagnosis: Debt
    • The Body Shops
    • Priced Out
    • Guns, Race, and Profit
    • Broken Rehab
    • Dead Zone
    • Denied
    • Opioid Settlement Tracking
    • Eleven Minutes
    All Special Reports
  • More Topics

    More Topics

    • Elections
    • Healthcare Costs
    • Insurance
    • Prescription Drugs
    • Health Industry
    • Immigration
    • Reproductive Health
    • Technology
    • Rural Health
    • Race and Health
    • Aging
    • Mental Health
    • Affordable Care Act
    • Medicare
    • Medicaid
    • Children’s Health
    All Topics

  • Medicare Advantage Billing Probe
  • School Vaccine Mandates
  • Weight Loss Drugs Coverage
  • Opioid Settlement Money
  • Abortion Pill Access

Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

  • Email

Monday, Oct 28 2019

Full Issue

To Attract Diverse Talent, Starbucks Offers One Of Most Comprehensive Health Packages To Transgender Workers In U.S.

The company, which has been covering sex-reassignment surgery since 2012, decided to expand coverage in 2018 to include transition-related procedures that are considered cosmetic, such as breast reduction or augmentation surgery, facial feminization, voice therapy and hormonal therapy.

Seven years ago, Tate Buhrmester made the decision to come out as transgender while working as a supervisor at a Starbucks Corp. SBUX 0.24% store in Austin, Texas. 鈥淲hen I came out at work, I told my Starbucks partners [as the company calls its employees] to call me by my new name, Tate, and they were very accepting. I never had any problems,鈥 he says. Two things eased Mr. Buhrmester鈥檚 transition: being able to choose his preferred pronouns and name, and being covered by the Seattle-based coffee chain鈥檚 medical benefits. (Sardon, 10/26)

Two years ago, Uber launched Uber Health, through which health care providers like the Cleveland Clinic order rides for patients using a HIPAA-compliant platform. That same year, Lyft debuted a service called Lyft Concierge that gave businesses, including health care providers, a way to manage rides for clients and patients. (Christ, 10/27)

In other health industry news 鈥

New York鈥檚 insurance regulator said it is launching an investigation into a UnitedHealth Group Inc. algorithm that a study found prioritized care for healthier white patients over sicker black patients. The state鈥檚 Department of Financial Services said it sent a letter Friday to UnitedHealth Chief Executive David Wichmann asking for the company to either show the algorithm isn鈥檛 racially discriminatory or stop using it. The New York Department of Health joined in sending the letter. (Evans and Wilde Mathews, 10/26)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Newsletter icon

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:

Recent Morning Briefings

  • Friday, August 7
  • Thursday, August 6
  • Wednesday, August 5
  • Tuesday, August 4
  • Monday, August 3
  • Friday, July 31
More Morning Briefings
RSS Feeds
  • Podcasts
  • Special Reports
  • Morning Briefing
  • 吃瓜不打烊
  • Republish Our Content
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

  • RSS

Sign up for emails

Join our email list for regular updates based on your personal preferences.

Sign up
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy

漏 2026 KFF