Helen Santoro

Author's posts

Misinformation Obscures Standards Guiding Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth

Many state legislatures have passed or are considering restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans minors. Yet much of the discussion is based on misconceptions about what that care entails.

After Capping the Price of Insulin, Colorado Sets Its Sights on EpiPens

Colorado’s proposed legislation to cap the copay for the EpiPen is part of a nationwide trend as more states try to shield patients from skyrocketing drug prices.

More Young Colorado Children Are Consuming Marijuana Despite Efforts to Stop Them

Lawmakers say they don’t plan to revise state regulations on the sale of edibles despite more kids 5 and under ingesting them.

Transgender People in Rural America Struggle to Find Doctors Willing or Able to Provide Care

Many health professionals in rural areas don’t know how to provide gender-affirming care, leaving transgender patients with few options.

Medical Coding Creates Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients

The codes used by U.S. medical providers to bill insurers haven’t caught up to the needs of trans patients or even international standards. Consequently, doctors are forced to get creative with what codes they use, or patients spend hours fighting big out-of-pocket bills.

As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies

Gunnison paramedics cover the largest response zone in Colorado. Because of covid and the lack of nearby hospital beds, patients increasingly are transported long distances, leaving few ambulances to respond to emergencies.

The Pandemic Forced My Transgender Wife to Fight Our Insurer Over Hormones

The covid pandemic has caused millions of people, particularly LGBTQ adults, to lose their jobs and enroll in Medicaid or insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Yet these plans often don’t fully cover the basics needed by many transgender Americans, such as injectable estrogen, a hormone therapy commonly used by trans women.