My insurance covers FFS with Drs. Meltzer, Satterwhite, and Rumer. Opinions?

[Anna Banana]

A few months ago, my plan was to get FFS with Dr. Cardenas, or maybe Facial Team, paying 100% of the cost myself.  Then, on a whim, I called up the case manager for trans patients at my insurer (Kaiser Permanente) and asked them if FFS was now covered, to which the case manager responded that yes, it is.  I was surprised, and asked which surgeons are covered, and the response I got was the same 3 surgeons who are covered for SRS are also covered for FFS: Dr. Toby Meltzer, Dr. Thomas Satterwhite, Dr. Kathy Rumer.

Should I be strongly considering altering my original plans to go with Dr. Cardenas or Facial Team, in light of this new information? One thing that has made me hesitant is that I think the three covered surgeons are primarily SRS surgeons.

Perhaps other folks have more information and can tell me which would be the right course of action? Are Dr. Meltzer, Dr. Satterwhite, or Dr. Rumer known to be good at facial feminization surgery? Should I go with one of them, with my insurer paying nearly 100% of the cost, or go with Dr. Cardenas or Facial Team, paying the entire cost myself?

[Dena]

I haven't seen Dr Meltzer's facial work but before he was doing GCS, he was a reconstructive plastic surgeon. I know he is still doing it because I seen one of his patients fresh out of surgery in the hospital and I know there was another in there for nose surgery. I admit that I am less that 30 miles from him but I would consider him if I were thinking about more work.

[reborn]

Meltzer is good for FFS. There are a few results available online. I think he also does type 3 foreheads. I would give him a chance if I were you.

[Jill E]

Wow, that's amazing! If you don't mind my asking, who's your insurance through?


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[Anna Banana]

Wow, that's amazing! If you don't mind my asking, who's your insurance through?


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Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic individual plan.

[Anna Banana]

Meltzer is good for FFS. There are a few results available online. I think he also does type 3 foreheads. I would give him a chance if I were you.

I was only able to find one result.  Help please?

[Sophia Sage]

Meltzer did my facial work back at the turn of the century, back when he was in Portland.  (Goddess do I sound old!)

Overall, I'm very pleased with my results, especially the rhinoplasty and Type III forehead.  I also had a lip lift, trachea shave, sliding genioplasty, mandible recontouring, and a scalp advancement.  Had to go back for minor revisions about six months after surgery -- scar revision, mostly, but also some more work on my chin and mandible to get a more balanced aesthetic. 

Do you get to choose your surgeon with Kaiser?

[Anna Banana]

Meltzer did my facial work back at the turn of the century, back when he was in Portland.  (Goddess do I sound old!)

Overall, I'm very pleased with my results, especially the rhinoplasty and Type III forehead.  I also had a lip lift, trachea shave, sliding genioplasty, mandible recontouring, and a scalp advancement.  Had to go back for minor revisions about six months after surgery -- scar revision, mostly, but also some more work on my chin and mandible to get a more balanced aesthetic. 

Do you get to choose your surgeon with Kaiser?

It's good to hear that you're very satisfied with his work.  That's reassuring.  It would be nice to hear from as many of his FFS patients as possible, see what they thought of his work.  That would put my mind at ease.

Do you mean, do I get to choose from amongst the 3 FFS surgeons that I mentioned in the OP?

[Sophia Sage]

Do you mean, do I get to choose from amongst the 3 FFS surgeons that I mentioned in the OP?

Yes -- I'd heard, at least for SRS, that KP picks the surgeon for you.

[Michelle_P]

Yes -- I'd heard, at least for SRS, that KP picks the surgeon for you.

The trick with Kaiser is to live close to the field office where the doctor you'd like has his practice.  That puts you in his 'service area' and you are more likely to be assigned to him.

I live 2 blocks from Dr. Klineberger's Kaiser office.

[Anna Banana]

I called up Kaiser's case manager for trans patients to ask about how it's decided who gets what surgeon, and was told that there's a Kaiser board that makes that decision and assigns you a surgeon, you don't select one yourself.  Case management could write a note that I'm requesting a particular surgeon (such as Dr. Meltzer), but the board assigns me a surgeon and there's no guarantee that the board would respect my request.

I was told that if I went with a different FFS surgeon than the one the board selected (for instance, if I went with Dr. Spiegel), I would not be reimbursed, even partially, it would be out of the question.

I suppose that kind of closes the door on that whole thing.  It's a very personal thing, choosing which surgeon will do your FFS and SRS, with lifetime, permanent consequences that you have to live with, and the idea of just being assigned an FFS and SRS surgeon by a board that probably doesn't have the same priorities in mind as you do, that's not workable.  These are very very delicate procedures.  If I'm going to have FFS or SRS, it's going to be with a doctor who I've spent a great deal of time and effort researching so that I'm completely comfortable with them, it's not going to be with a doctor I was assigned by a board.

I guess, then, I'll just have to pay for FFS and SRS out of pocket, if I want to have a say in who does it.

[reborn]

Why not applying with the board and see what happens? You have nothing to lose.