Dr. Crane - financing and costs?

[ephone]

Hey everyone
I'm considering Dr. Crane for bottom surgery but have no idea how much I should be saving up? Does anyone have experience with this (and also, the financial planning that they offer?).

Thanks!

[ephone]

I'm going to answer my own thread since I just got a response back from Dr. Crane's office:

phalloplasty is around $68,000 to $78,000
penile implant is an additional $16,000

Insurance companies that he's contracted with: United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross, and Kaiser Permanente
* there is a $150 insurance verification fee for those who are with others

[Kalen]

The cost is 68,00 to 78,00 out of pocket.  I received an email from Dr. Crane's office this morning and they said that in November 2015 Dr. Crane will be developing a transgender program at a hospital in Austin, Tx and in Mid December he will be performing surgeries in Austin and Dr. Mag Chen will start doing surgeries at his San Francisco office.

[Bimmer Guy]

The cost is 68,00 to 78,00 out of pocket.  I received an email from Dr. Crane's office this morning and they said that in November 2015 Dr. Crane will be developing a transgender program at a hospital in Austin, Tx and in Mid December he will be performing surgeries in Austin and Dr. Mag Chen will start doing surgeries at his San Francisco office.

Wow! That is higher than I thought.  Any word on the cost of meta?

[ephone]

Wow! That is higher than I thought.  Any word on the cost of meta?

"The out of pocket self pay cost of the metoidioplasty including the surgeon's fee, facility, and anesthesia ranges from $20,000 to $30,000. This total cost of surgery is dependent on if you would like the metoidioplasty with or without urethral hookup and scrotoplasty (no implants). Testicular implants can be inserted in a separate procedure 6 months after the initial procedure and this out of pocket self pay cost is $6500. Hysterectomy can be performed during the same operative period by Dr. Katherine Hsiao for an additional out of pocket cost of $11,000."

[spacerace]

He is moving to Austin? How bizarre!

I have to imagine it is for the better business climate vs California.

[Bimmer Guy]

"The out of pocket self pay cost of the metoidioplasty including the surgeon's fee, facility, and anesthesia ranges from $20,000 to $30,000. This total cost of surgery is dependent on if you would like the metoidioplasty with or without urethral hookup and scrotoplasty (no implants). Testicular implants can be inserted in a separate procedure 6 months after the initial procedure and this out of pocket self pay cost is $6500. Hysterectomy can be performed during the same operative period by Dr. Katherine Hsiao for an additional out of pocket cost of $11,000."

Thank you for the extensive information!

[aleon515]

He is originally from Austin, I think. He gets national (even international) patients. The only thing he is getting from CA is a lot of MediCal business, so not sure he is going to miss that.
I doubt that it has much to do with "business climate". I believe he moved to CA to be with Dr Bernstein, who he doesn't work for anymore anyway. I believe there will still be some sort of practice in CA (though maybe not him at all, not sure, but people he trained).

--Jay

He is moving to Austin? How bizarre!

I have to imagine it is for the better business climate vs California.

[blink]

"The out of pocket self pay cost of the metoidioplasty including the surgeon's fee, facility, and anesthesia ranges from $20,000 to $30,000. This total cost of surgery is dependent on if you would like the metoidioplasty with or without urethral hookup and scrotoplasty (no implants). Testicular implants can be inserted in a separate procedure 6 months after the initial procedure and this out of pocket self pay cost is $6500. Hysterectomy can be performed during the same operative period by Dr. Katherine Hsiao for an additional out of pocket cost of $11,000."

Thanks for posting this information. Metoidioplasty with Dr. Crane is an option I'm considering down the line (cannot even begin to afford it at the moment) and info on costs with him seems scarce. So factoring in a hotel stay and all that I'd be looking at around at least $50,000 to be well prepared. Sacred bovine.

[spacerace]

He is originally from Austin, I think. He gets national (even international) patients. The only thing he is getting from CA is a lot of MediCal business, so not sure he is going to miss that.
I doubt that it has much to do with "business climate".

That's the whole point - he can have his practice anywhere he wants because the majority of his patients travel. Operating a medical office out of TX is several orders of magnitude cheaper than in CA - taxes, property costs, his own costs - employees for instance, facility fees....etc etc. His move is win-win for him. He gets to take a cut of the surgeon he is leaving in CA while moving to TX and saving on his own costs. He is at the top of a rapidly expanding niche market - there is no way he would not take the "business climate" into consideration, especially if he is from TX so he will understand this - triple win for him. Talent and training aside, he is a business owner, and the CA business climate is a lot less friendly than a TX one.

Now to tie this to the point of thread...it is good for doctors to move beyond places like CA where it is very expensive to operate a business because they pass the costs to us in terms of surgery fees. I doubt he will lower his prices or anything because of his move, but it could mean he doesn't have to raise them in the future. Also cheaper hotels in TX and likely cheaper hospital stay fees.

[Bimmer Guy]

That's the whole point - he can have his practice anywhere he wants because the majority of his patients travel. Operating a medical office out of TX is several orders of magnitude cheaper than in CA - taxes, property costs, his own costs - employees for instance, facility fees....etc etc. His move is win-win for him. He gets to take a cut of the surgeon he is leaving in CA while moving to TX and saving on his own costs. He is at the top of a rapidly expanding niche market - there is no way he would not take the "business climate" into consideration, especially if he is from TX so he will understand this - triple win for him. Talent and training aside, he is a business owner, and the CA business climate is a lot less friendly than a TX one.

Now to tie this to the point of thread...it is good for doctors to move beyond places like CA where it is very expensive to operate a business because they pass the costs to us in terms of surgery fees. I doubt he will lower his prices or anything because of his move, but it could mean he doesn't have to raise them in the future. Also cheaper hotels in TX and likely cheaper hospital stay fees.

The cheaper hotels, food and all is what came to mind when I heard that he was moving to Austin.  Austin is also quite queer friendly, at least the most queer friendly in the state.  I can't help but wonder how much that has to do with his choice of the location in TX (unless he is from that area, which would be a motivator). 

[aleon515]

I think he's a Texas guy. Feels like a fish out of water, from my understanding.
I agree Austin is a nice area and very queer friendly.

--Jay

The cheaper hotels, food and all is what came to mind when I heard that he was moving to Austin.  Austin is also quite queer friendly, at least the most queer friendly in the state.  I can't help but wonder how much that has to do with his choice of the location in TX (unless he is from that area, which would be a motivator).