Quote from: Kylo on February 18, 2017, 03:02:50 PM
I don't know how it all works in the U.S. but you're saying even if you've got an accessible medical history of requiring T, and been approved for it before, if you move state you still have go hunt out a doctor 'willing' to prescribe T for you?
Makes me wonder what I'd have to do if I ever stay over for any length of time in the U.S. now. . .
Medical history isn't universally accessible here. It is the responsibility of the patient to provide a new doctor with their healthcare records from a previous provider. If you can find a healthcare provider that has worked with trans patients before, most likely all they will need is your records from your previous provider to be able to take over the prescribing and monitoring of your hormones.
But not every doctor is willing to prescribe. Especially in some states that are considered to be more conservative, like North Carolina where OP is moving, doctors may not feel comfortable prescribing even if it's a continuing care kind of thing and they aren't the initial prescriber. Which is why it's easier to ask around in advance and see if anybody knows of a provider with trans experience.
Of course, it also depends on you and how cool your current provider is. Mine requires an annual visit with lab work from anyone who has been on hormones for over a year. So if I were to move across the country, I could conceivably get my labs done here, and schedule an appointment with my old doctor for the one time per year that I'm back where I used to live. She'd order refills for my prescription for the next year as long as I showed up to that appointment with lab work ready. It might not make sense if I had no particular need to return to that region, but at least for me personally my parents live about 30 minutes from my doctor's office so as long as they're still alive and kicking, this is always an option. It also most likely wouldn't make sense if visits were required at a faster frequency. Traveling isn't cheap.
