What are the costs of HRT around Brisbane (Australia) without Medicare?

[Xirafel]

What are the costs of HRT around Brisbane (Australia) without Medicare?

Okay, I made a new thread with a title that is a little less useless.
For more information, you can consult 'Uhh'. Any information would be helpful.

Q&A:
Do you have private health insurance? No, information on this particularly the costs would be very useful.
Why isn't Medicare applicable? As mentioned in my previous thread, it'll take an excessively long length of time for me to become eligible for it.
How old are you? Turned 21 in July.

[Cindy]

Im not sure what your question is!

Yes I have private insurance, medicare covers most of my costs

I'm 63.

[Xirafel]

Im not sure what your question is!

Yes I have private insurance, medicare covers most of my costs

I'm 63.

E.g. How much it would cost for the first year and a possibly even a breakdown of it, etc.
If the costs are too prohibitive, I might have to take out a loan, and have to plan accordingly.

I tried poking around, but they seem to keep the costs out of public sight.
I'll see about firing off a bunch of emails to see if they get back to me.

[Cindy]

Well in Australia you need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist to get started, in theory any medic can do the evaluation but in practice most refer to a specialist. In Qld there are a number. Those I know of are: Dr Darren Russell
Sexual Health Physician
Cairns Sexual Health Service
381 Sheridan Street Cairns QLD 4870
ph  (07)  4226 4769
fax  (07)  4226 4771
www.health.qld.gov.au/sexhealth/help/cairns.asp



Dr  Gale Bearman
Brisbane Gender Clinic
30 Helen St
Newstead
Qld 4006
ph 07 30171777




Olivia Donaghy,
Psychologist,
Gecko House, 7 Reid St, Woolloongabba, Brisbane 4102
P: Po Box 334, Red Hill, QLD  4059
E: admin@cedarhealth.info
Fax: (07) 3112 5066
web: www.geckohouse.com.au/olivia-donaghy/
fax 07 38525200
brisgenderclinic@qahc.og.au

Gladstone Rd Medical Centre
38 Gladstone Rd
Highgate Hill
QLD 4101
ph 07 38449599
fax 38462957
g,bearman@grmc.com.au
ph  (07) 3837 5645   ( wed afternoon )



Dr Fiona Bisshop

SEXUAL HEALTH, TRANSGENDER, HIV and LGBT HEALTH
Holdsworth House Medical Brisbane
116 Robertson St
Fortitude Valley
QLD 4006
Ph 07 3894 0794
http://www.holdsworthhouse.com.au/locations/brisbane/



​Dr Morris Bersin   Mb Ch B (Rhod.)  F.F. Psych ( S.A. )  FRANZCP

Consultant Psychiatrist
Special interest  : Gender diversity / Dysphoria
Assessment / assistance. / management / therapy



Dr Graham Neilsen
MBBS (Qld), Dip Ven (Liv), MM (Sexual Health) (Syd), FAFPHM, FAChSHM

Sexual Health Physician
Stonewall Medical Centre
52 Newmarket Road
Windsor QLD 4030

Tel:   07-3857 1222
Fax:  07-3857 2333
http://www.stonewall.com.au
facebook.com/stonewallmedical



Kerrie-Ann Thornber

Consultant Speech Pathologist
Individual Voice Management Programs for Transgender Clients

The Brisbane Speech and Hearing Clinic
17 Bowen Bridge Road Herston, QLD, 4006
www.brisbanespeechandhearing.com
bshc.reception@gmail.com
T: (07) 3252 2383



Belinda Birtles
Clinical Psychologist
Brisbane Southside Psychology
Level 1
142 Apollo Road
Bulimba Q 4171

P: (07) 3105 2880
M: 0459270146
E: bbpsychology@gmail.com
www.brisbanesouthsidepsychology.com



Fiona Jamieson BPsych(Hons), MPsych(Clin), MAPS, MACPA
Clinical Psychologist
InnerTwist Clinical Psychology
Level 3, 54 Jephson Street
PO Box 524|Toowong DC| QLD |4066
T: 07 3371 5558 |F: 07 3112 4242 |M: 0488 016 618
E: fiona@innertwist.com.au | www.innertwist.com.au



Dr Stuart Aitken MBBS, Dip Ven, FAChSHM
Sexual Health Physician
The Evandale Practice
Suite 2, Level 1
142 Bundall Rd
Postal address:
PO Box 9031
Gold Coast Mail Centre 9726
Tel:   07-5510 3122
Fax:  07-5510 3144
www.stuartaitken.org



Dr Jodie Housman B.Sc (Hons Psych). DPsych (Clinical).
MAPS. ANZICA. FSA.
Clinical Psychologist
Housman Psychology

Silverton Place, 
Level 4. 101 Wickham Tce Spring Hill, 4000
Mobile: 0430 305413
Email: contactus@housmanpsychology.com
Web: http://housmanpsychology.com



Jani Forest-Wyatt
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Brilliance Counselling & Consultancy
1/457 Oxley Avenue
Redcliffe Qld 4020
0424855581
brilliancecounselling@gmail.com
www.brilliancecounselling.com.au

They all charge although some will bulk bill and medicare takes care of the fee. If you are in Brisbane I suggest trying Gale Bearman's team at the Gender Clinic. The fees vary so much it isn't easy to quote but expect $150 a session that you can claim maybe 75% back, but check with the clinic. If you are assessed for HRT then that is again mainly covered by medicare and depends on what type of oestrogen you end up on, pellets, cream, tablets, injections, patches. I was on pellets and they cost about $250 every 6 months which included the fee for inserting them (they need a local), I'm on patches now and I think they cost about $50 a script that lasts maybe 2 months. Then there is the anti androgen if needed, again medicare covers most of it so maybe $50 a script for that as well. When I was on spironolactone the script probably covered a year for maybe $150? or less.

Blood tests are not frequent and maybe cost $150 a time, you have one to start for baseline, one about 1-2 months in and then as required by the medic, so maybe one a year.

So the big fee is for the the psychiatric evaluation and most clinics in Australia practice informed consent so you need about 3-5 visits before HRT is prescribed unless you have underlying issues that need to be cleared up. Many transgender people do have underlying issues in particular PTSD from trying to cope, getting help to overcome that is a truely worthwhile thing in my opinion.

Does that help? Of course phoning the clinic and asking what the fee is will be more accurate!

You will need a referral from a GP to see any of the specialists to be able to claim the medicare rebates.

[Xirafel]

Dr  Gale Bearman
Brisbane Gender Clinic
30 Helen St
Newstead
Qld 4006
ph 07 30171777

Does that help? Of course phoning the clinic and asking what the fee is will be more accurate!

I sent them an email enquiring that. They basically just told me that they don't know and said nothing else. I'll see if the others are more open with their prices.

Thank you for the information however.

[Xirafel]

More news from that clinic, surprisingly enough. They say that they cannot see clients who do not have a Medicare Card, so they're ruled out. I'll see what the other ones say, they gave me one suggestion of who to go to.

As expected, they more or less told me to get lost, but in polite words.
I'm so worthless and subhuman that my money isn't good enough for them.

[Cindy]

Why haven't you got a medicare card? Every Australian has one or your parents do if you are under 18

[Xirafel]

Why haven't you got a medicare card? Every Australian has one or your parents do if you are under 18

I do not have Australian Citizenship. I have New Zealand, UK, Brazilian and Irish Citizenship.
In other words, I'm SOL as far as Medicare goes. I'm theoretically eligible in six months time. Theoretically, although that's dependent on several requirements.

I have my parents to blame for dragging me to this country with no thought for the consequences.

[Xirafel]

I've emailed some more clinics. With any luck, they won't tell me to get lost.
If I can't find anyone, I might have to commit this forum's ultimate taboo, it's not like death is a big deal anyway.

I mentioned the fact that I was a student this time to try to stop them from robbing me blind for vast amounts of money and countless pointless sessions.

[Xirafel]

As you can probably tell, I wrote that in the middle of a really bad mood.
My mood just chaotically swings all over the place.

Okay, someone got back to me, although they want a phone number.
Unfortunately, I don't have one, unless it involves going through my stupid parents, but I'd rather keep them out of the loop for now.

Apparently, they want $150. I presume that's per session. No idea on the number of sessions, psychologists like to be mystical and mysterious like that.
No indications of whether I'll be able to get the referral for the pills, I'll have to dig deeper.

I'll have to get a phone number somehow without unnecessarily spending a huge pile of money. How hard could it be?
With any luck, this isn't some sort of quack out to give me empty words, no pills and to steal my money.

[AnonyMs]

You can buy a phone for about $20 or $30, and you can get a sim card for not too much either. I'm not sure how you charge the sim card - possibly they will want a credit card. If you only use it for receiving calls get a card where the credits last a long time - the trade off being expensive calls.

Have you tried contacting a doctor/endo who prescribes and ask them for a recommendation for a psych?

[Xirafel]

You can buy a phone for about $20 or $30, and you can get a sim card for not too much either. I'm not sure how you charge the sim card - possibly they will want a credit card. If you only use it for receiving calls get a card where the credits last a long time - the trade off being expensive calls.

Have you tried contacting a doctor/endo who prescribes and ask them for a recommendation for a psych?

That's surprisingly cheap, I always thought of phones as expensive things.

I'll have to find one first. Surprisingly enough, I do have a facility with a bunch of psychologists literally around the corner from where I am. I won't mention the name as I don't want people to know where I live, but with any luck they won't be quacks.

[AnonyMs]

That's surprisingly cheap, I always thought of phones as expensive things.

This site lists bargains in Australia, and here's an example of a phone for $9 with $10 of credit. Its not a very good phone of course. I'm not sure its still available, but they always come up and its a good lead on whats cheap.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/265378

This is good on how to get cheap calls

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/telstra_pre-paid_starter_pack_guide

[Xirafel]

Okay, that's useful. Also, what sort of loans do we have available, particularly ones intended for medical / psychological purposes?

[Xirafel]

Dr  Gale Bearman

That appears to be neither a psychiatrist or a psychologist. They haven't displayed any credentials as either.
At best, they're just a general practitioner who might provide a referral to one.

In other words, useless. This is all so complicated.

[LizK]

Okay, that's useful. Also, what sort of loans do we have available, particularly ones intended for medical / psychological purposes?

Things you will need to know to be able to answer this question

How much money do you want to borrow? Are you able to provide collateral? Can you show that you are able to service the debt on paper?

Once you decide how much you want then you can start looking at the alternatives

Everything from a Payday lender to a banking institution are able to provide credit. Hence the question about how much did you want to borrow because some a clearly better prospects than other..

Liz

[luna nyan]

Xirafel,

From the sounds of it you want to be discreet around your parents and not want them to know that you're dealing with things behind them.

Unfortunately, without a medicare card, your main option is to pay for your sessions with cash.  Once you are eligible, it will be possible for you to hold a medicare card independent of your parents as you are no longer a minor.

$150 for a 30 minute session sounds about average.  If you feel as though you are comfortable with the doctor, and want to continue with further consultations, then state outright your financial position, and work on a schedule that you can afford.  Get through this part first before worrying about the costs of HRT etc.

The good news is that you're young and doing something about it.  Don't give up.

Luna