Reassigning coverage.

In what transgender activists claim is a national first, Gloria Stein of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., was offered a $500,000 female preferred life insurance policy from United of Omaha in July. After the 68-year-old activist had gender-reassignment surgery in October 2001, she was rejected by more than 100 companies, who refused to provide her with the lower-cost policy offered to women.

"I'm hoping this is a first step in changing [insurance policies], so that other transgendered people will be able to say, 'You did this for a transsexual in Florida,'" said Stein, who heads the South Florida Gender Coalition.

Prior to the United of Omaha offer, the best Stein could get was a standard policy for a man at more than double the preferred rate, because, according to the insurance company, the sex change indicated psychological problems. "We didn't expect her to be discriminated against as both a woman and a man," said Stein's nephew, Steven Shulman, who helped her fight for the coverage.