Gender Reassignment Surgeries Approved at Penn

The University of Pennsylvania approved health insurance coverage for transgender students' gender reassignment surgeries, psychotherapy, and hormone treatments, university spokesman Ron Ozio said Wednesday.

Penn president Amy Gutman recently approved the health plan, slated to begin in the fall. The plan will cover up to $50,000 in costs, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

According to Ozio, the premium increase for students will be small because very few are likely to take advantage of the coverage.

"It's going to end up being a few cents [more] per student," said Dennie Zastrow, a senior and former board chairman of Lambda Alliance, the university's LGBT group.