Double mastectomy

[IncognitoMo]

Hello everyone,
   I need your help. I have no idea where to begin this process... the internet is full of information...so full that it's overwhelming. So, please, anyone who has knowledge of how to begin the process of getting a double mastectomy...I'd seriously appreciate your input. From finding the right doctor, dealing with insurance, getting approved, affordability, etc....and I know this is a lot to ask but if I could find someone who could walk me through this step by step... that would be so wonderful. Someone (preferably)who has been through the whole process themselves that I could keep in contact with and ask questions along the way. The thought of even taking the first step is very scary for me because I have no one in my personal life that I can go to for advice about this. So if I can get to know someone on a support forum such as this, I think it may help me be just a bit braver.
   I'll start by introducing myself: My name is Maureen or Mo for short. I am 27 years old. I've identified as gender nonconforming/non binary for about 13 years. I live about an hour south of Chicago. I have been described as quiet but being quiet does not mean that I have nothing worthwhile to say. I care deeply for my friends/family. I despise trashtalk/gossip; I like to help others feel good about themselves, not put others down. I struggle with anxiety and depression daily but I put up a good fight. I love art,writing, music and nature; can't live without them.
   I won't bore you with anymore details about myself for now but I look forward to making new acquaintances/friends on this forum <3

[Elis]

Hey, welcome to the site . I live in the UK so can't really help with the medical stuff; but hopefully someone on here will know of medical professionals with knowledge about nb patients.  But I know it's possible from what I've heard from other people. The non binary network blog on tumblr and youtube may be useful for information on nb stuff as it has contributors from America.

If you have any nb based questions feel free to ask

[Laurie]

Hi Maureen.

  I'm Laurie. I and a MtF so I do not have the information you need but I am sure someone here should be able to help  you.
  Welcome To Susan's Place! Come on in and take a good look around.  Perhaps I can even get you to hop on over to the Introductions Thread and  create a post to tell us a little bit more about yourself so we can get to know you a little better and greet you properly.

  Also I'll add some links and information below that can help you get more out of our site. Please take time to become familiar with them especially the RED one as we are always getting questions that are answered there.

Laurie
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[IncognitoMo]

Thank you Elis and Laurie for the warm welcomes
Elis- You're right. Youtube is a great place to find information on top surgery. I have watched videos on there detailing the process of double mastectomys and it is helpful. I've never used tumblr so I don't know much about it but I'll have to check it out some time. Thank you for the suggestions!
Laurie- I'll be sure to explore the site more so I can better understand how it works and the resources available. Thank you!

[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place. You many notice that the forum is divided into many areas. This is to make it easy to find things on the site. You may post in any are that is appropriate for the subject being discussed. In this case, I think you will find what you need in the FTM Top Surgery of the forum. It is a bit confusing because there are so many areas on the site but two years of shoving threads around has made me a librarian.   

[Contravene]

I can't really walk you through the process since I'm new to it myself but there are a couple things I can tell you about to help you get started.

The first thing you'll want to do is call your insurance company and check to make sure they cover surgery that treats gender dysphoria. If you live in the US I believe it's illegal for them not to although I can't remember all the stipulations. I live in PA so in my state top surgery is considered cosmetic surgery but as long as I have a letter from my therapist and doctor documenting my gender dysphoria the surgery is deemed medically necessary so my insurance will cover it. Your insurance company will also be able to tell you which surgeons are "in network" which just means they accept your insurance plan.

You can go with a surgeon who is in your insurance network or you can choose your own. If you choose your own be prepared to have to pay out of pocket for the surgery and most double mastectomies cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. There are usually options like Care Credit or loans from a bank though depending on where you live. You may also have the option of getting reimbursed for the surgery from your insurance company. That's what I'm working on right now.

You'll schedule a consultation where the surgeon will meet with you and talk about the operation, recovery and other things along those lines then whenever you're ready you'll be able to schedule a date for it. You may or may not need a therapist letter before the consultation and surgery. I needed one before I could schedule my surgery but I guess it varies.

I chose my own surgeon so I'll be fighting for reimbursement from my insurance. If you go that route there are a couple things you'll need to do. If you aren't going this route you can skip this step. After you have your consultation ask your surgeon for an itemized receipt. This will show the cost of the procedure and any other costs associated with your top surgery. Also ask your surgeon to include the billing codes for the surgery. Those are codes the insurance company can use for, well, being billed. After that call your insurance again and ask for a representative who can work with you throughout the process. That way you'll have one or two people who know your situation and you can contact them directly otherwise you're going to have to talk to a million people and constantly explain what you're doing and give them the billing codes, etc. a million times. Explain to your insurance company rep that you would like to be reimbursed for the surgery (and this will most likely only work if they cover GCS in the first place), send them the bill and codes your surgeon gave you, then ask them to send you a letter stating that they will reimburse you. It helps to get everything in writing. You'll pay for the surgery up front then submit the bill and your insurance rep's letter to your insurance company and wait for reimbursement.

That last step is about where I am in the whole process right now. I don't know if any resources that are completely reliable. I had to do most of my own research and calling around. It helps that I have an awesome therapist who's helping me throughout the whole process too. If I find any resources I'll post the links to them. The best asset you could have is a good therapist or doctor who has done this before.