( CNN ) -- The decision on whether Medicare pays for sex-change operations is now in the hands of regional administrators , thanks to a decision Friday by a federal board that overturned a national policy of not covering such surgeries . The ruling by the Departmental Appeals Board of the Department of Health and Human Services gives authority to 15 regional contractors who administer the Medicare program to decide whether sex-change surgeries will be covered in their territories . `` The national policy barring Medicare from covering gender transition surgery has been invalidated , '' said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesman Aaron Albright in an e-mail to CNN . `` As with all such determinations , CMS will carry out this independent board 's ruling through Medicare Administrative Contractors , who manage Medicare claims payment systems . These contractors may cover this care case-by-case or under a local coverage determination based on clinical evidence to determine medical appropriateness , '' added Albright , whose agency administers Medicare and Medicaid . The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) , Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD ) , and the National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) responded with a joint statement praising the move : . `` This decision removes a threshold barrier to coverage for medical care for transgender people under Medicare . It is consistent with the consensus of the medical and scientific community that access to gender transition-related care is medically necessary for many people with gender dysphoria , '' the statement said . `` The removal of the exclusion of coverage for surgical care for Medicare recipients means that individuals will not automatically have claims of coverage for gender transition-related surgeries denied . They should either get coverage or , at a minimum , receive an individualized review of the medical need for the specific procedure they seek , just like anyone seeking coverage for any other medical treatment . '' The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force issued a statement that concluded , `` The dominoes are falling rapidly . ''
Until Friday , a national policy barred Medicare from covering sex-change surgery . A board under the Department of Health and Human services overturned that policy . Now , 15 regional administrators will decide whether the surgery is covered .