On March 11, 2026, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia hosted a webinar presenting new Australian evidence on gender-affirming care, mental health and Medicare reform.
This timely and evidence-driven webinar examines new national research showing that access to publicly funded gender-affirming hormones and surgery is associated with improved mental health outcomes and reduced long-term Medicare spending. This session unpacks the economic and social implications of these findings, and explores what they mean for current policy debates around funding, equitable access, and broader health system reform.
The discussion comes at a pivotal moment, as the Australian Government considers MSAC Application 1754, proposing expanded Medicare funding for gender-affirming surgery. For policymakers, clinicians, advocates, researchers and community leaders, this is an important opportunity to engage with robust Australian evidence and consider its real-world implications
Presentation By
Dr Karinna Saxby (she/her)
A Health Economist at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on healthcare utilisation in Australia, particularly among priority populations, including people with disability, LGBTQ+ populations, and Indigenous peoples.
Clue Coman (they/them)
A PhD candidate and research assistant at the Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW. Their research focuses on the social and structural harms affecting LGBTQIA+ people, with a particular interest in justice, human rights and the gap between formal protections and lived experience.
