TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Paul Burch on May 25, 2023

Two Tennessee women are suing the state over its public employee health insurance plans that exclude coverage for gender-affirming care, claiming they are discriminatory and unconstitutional. Gerda Zinner and Story VanNess had scheduled surgeries to address their gender dysphoria and were denied insurance coverage. The University of Tennessee and Knox County Board of Education, as well as several Tennessee insurance committees, are named as defendants, reports the Commercial Appeal. VanNess worked as a special education teacher for Knox County public schools from 2016 until 2022. Zinner is currently an adviser at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.