LGBTQ+ Benefits

Johns Hopkins Health System benefits include coverage and support for gender-affirming transitions, including:

• Medical coverage: Our medical plans offer coverage for gender-affirming care and treatment. Please review the Gender Affirming Treatment & Procedures Policy on Johns Hopkins Policies Online for detailed coverage information.
• Hospital indemnity insurance: Pays a cash benefit to help cover costs during a hospital stay.
• Short-term disability: Once approved, this benefit replaces 60% of your base pay, up to 25 weeks, while you recover.
• Prepaid legal services: Get legal assistance with name changes or creating important documents such as a will or power of attorney.

Note: Other than short-term disability, you must be actively enrolled in the benefits above to use them.

Transitioning in the Workplace

Johns Hopkins Medicine created the Gender-Affirming Transitioning in the Workplace policy to provide guidance to employees, supervisors, and managers about gender-affirming transitions in the workplace to ensure a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.

This policy covers the process, important terms, and guidelines to create a seamless workplace gender-affirming transition for transgender and gender diverse employees and others who may be involved in a workplace gender-affirming transition. It also serves as a guide on how to address patients, care partners, professional colleagues, and others doing business with Johns Hopkins.

View the policy on Johns Hopkins Policies Online .

When you enroll in a medical, dental, vision or dependent life insurance plan, you may also elect coverage for any legally married spouses and dependent children, including legally adopted children.

Our medical plans cover the following for you and any covered dependents:

• HIV prevention and treatment, including HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• Medically necessary gender-affirming surgeries and procedures in accordance with the Gender Affirming Treatment & Procedures Policy on Johns Hopkins Policies Online .
• Inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance use treatment.

There’s more than one way to build a family. Our benefits ensure that employees have the support and resources they need to grow their families.   

Time Away From Work

Whether you’re adopting, having a child through surrogacy, or giving birth, Johns Hopkins offers job-protected time away from work to give you the time you need to welcome your new child.

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job protected leave in a 12-month period.
• Paid parental leave provides temporary income replacement for any parents who are welcoming a new child, including paid time for birth recovery and bonding.

Go to Leaves to learn more.

Adoption Assistance

We’ll reimburse adoption-related expenses like agency and attorney fees, court costs, transportation, medical expenses, and more if you adopt a child that isn’t your spouse or domestic partner’s natural born child.

If you’re regularly scheduled to work 30+ hours per week, we’ll reimburse up to:

• $5,000 for a single child
• $10,000 for two children adopted simultaneously

If you’re regularly scheduled to work 20-29 hours per week, we’ll reimburse up to:

• $2,500 for a single child adoption
• $5,000 for two children adopted simultaneously

Go to Family Resources to learn more.

Surrogacy

If someone is carrying and delivering a baby for you, known as a gestational surrogate or carrier, you can get reimbursed for eligible expenses associated with gestational surrogacy.

If you’re regularly scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week, you can get reimbursed up to:

• $15,000 for gestational surrogacy of a single child
• $30,000 for simultaneous gestational surrogacy of two children

Go to Family Resources to learn more.

Help and Resources

If you need help or have questions about the adoption or surrogacy process, consider enrolling in MetLife’s prepaid legal services to access legal assistance at a discounted rate.

You can also access free resources through your Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (JHEAP). Go to the EAP website using company code JHEAP or call 888-978-1262.

You, your dependents, and household members can access free, confidential support resources through the Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (JHEAP) that acknowledges the specific struggles that LGBTQ+ individuals may encounter due to stigma and discrimination.

The JHEAP offers:

• Free virtual or in-person counseling services (up to eight sessions per issue)
• A library of online resources to support LGBTQ+ youth, parents, caregivers, and their families
• Referrals for LGBTQ+-inclusive services