Insurance Question

[ChaoticTribe]

So I have noticed insurance applications all say male or female when you sign up, which I assume to mean that all intersex people must sign up as one of those to get insured. The question is, if you're insured as male, can you still see a gynecologist if you have female organs? If you need, say, a hysterectomy can you get that done on male insurance as long as you have a uterus that needs to be removed?

If you are as female but have male organs and need prostate exams or anything will it still be covered?

I ask because currently I have male license and insurance I guess is probably male, but I have female organs and there's no third option on insurance. Maybe I can switch it somehow?

[Rena-san]

I recently came across an article published by a Univeristy that explains this--I'm so sorry I don't have a link to it, if I find one I will post it here!

Anyway, although it sucks, when it comes to health insurance you have to sign up as the gender that is expected to have the treatments you will need. If that makes sense! Basically, if you have female parts but are male, for the sake of remaining a healthy human you should register as a female. Insurance companies will not cover medical expenses for female only procedures if you are registered with them as a male. What you could do is put female and then at some point try explaining to someone what you meant. To further complicate matters, if you have had your name legally changed, and your gender marker changed, you may run into some problems. But you should be able to get it all resolved, its just going to take a couple hours on the phone and pry some doctor's letters! 
There is also the possiblity an insuranced company could refuse you, so be prepared for that. 

[ChaoticTribe]

Ok so yeah I did find out my insurance has me listed as male. I sent a letter to customer service explaining that they made a mistake and need to correct it (even though I have a very masculine name).

Will a birth certificate in my old name, name change paper, and both old and new names on social security cards with the same number on both be enough evidence to make them fix it? I also have emergency room documents showing my new name, F gender, and stating that i have female organs.

[MadelineB]

Ok so yeah I did find out my insurance has me listed as male. I sent a letter to customer service explaining that they made a mistake and need to correct it (even though I have a very masculine name).

Will a birth certificate in my old name, name change paper, and both old and new names on social security cards with the same number on both be enough evidence to make them fix it? I also have emergency room documents showing my new name, F gender, and stating that i have female organs.

My insurance is through my employer, all I needed to change my gender on my insurance was to present my new driver's license that had the new gender marker. They also accepted passports, birth certificates, or social security cards, but for me the DL was by far the easiest to update.

My employer is an insurance company in Oregon/Washington/Alaska, and follows the same rules for the gender markers on all of their insurance policies, if that helps. You can ask your insurance company what form of ID they require to correct your gender.

Most insurance companies are set up to be able to do overrides, if there are procedures or treatments that are medically necessary for you due to your intersex condition even though they normally wouldn't be for someone with your gender marker who didn't have an intersex condition. Your physician can work with the insurance company to put the override in place for you - there will be a department that handles medical appeals and exceptions.

[MiaOhMya!]

This is an ever-relevant question, and I have some anecdotal news.

I was faced with the male-female question whilst selecting health insurance at my new(er) job. I left the sex question blank, but recorded everything else accurately, including my legal female name, hoping whoever processed the papers would interpret the gender. I just didn't want to lie on a legal document (yea yea its a lie of omission, but it's a plausible mistake).

[*wait 10 years for policy to arrive by post*  ]

Et voilà! : my insurance policy documents arrived and sure 'nuff they say,"female!"  Whoops!