Surgery this summer; how to save on travel

[TaraJo]

So, surgery date is set.  May 28.  Thank you insurance. 

Anyway, I'm excited. Who wouldn't be?  But I'm still a bit nervous about money.  Insurance is covering surgery, but surgery itself isn't the only expense.  I'm going to have to get to and from Scottsdale, I'm going to need somewhere to sleep at least part of the time I'm there, I'm going to need to eat (at least while I'm not in the hospital) and I'm still going to have a decent number of regular bills to deal with like rent on my apartment or my phone bill.  And I won't be working while I'm recovering from surgery; I think I can get short term disability, but even that isn't going to cover my entire paycheck, just a portion of it.

So I wanted to ask some of the people here if they have any advice on how to save money traveling?  I was looking into using AirBnB, but I have absolutely no experience with the service and don't know what I'm doing with it (not to mention, I don't know how well it would work out for my specific situation).  As far as getting there and back, there are travel options that each have their own issues.  I just want to find the lowest price to get from Tulsa OK to Scottsdale AZ and back.

[Arianna Valentine]

I just wanted to say congratulations on your surgery date and who knows it might come a little earlier but I do hope and pray that all goes well with it

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[Northern Star Girl]

@TaraJo
I trust that other members here will see your posting and your travel expense information questions and comments.  You will hopefull recieve some good suggestions.

While I do not have intelligent comments to make about your travel and lodging expenses I do however want to congratulate on getting your surgery date firmed up and confirming that your surgery will be covered by your insurance.

I am very happy for you.... please keep updating us.
Hugs, and well wishes,
Danielle

[Arianna Valentine]

So, surgery date is set.  May 28.  Thank you insurance. 

Anyway, I'm excited. Who wouldn't be?  But I'm still a bit nervous about money.  Insurance is covering surgery, but surgery itself isn't the only expense.  I'm going to have to get to and from Scottsdale, I'm going to need somewhere to sleep at least part of the time I'm there, I'm going to need to eat (at least while I'm not in the hospital) and I'm still going to have a decent number of regular bills to deal with like rent on my apartment or my phone bill.  And I won't be working while I'm recovering from surgery; I think I can get short term disability, but even that isn't going to cover my entire paycheck, just a portion of it.

So I wanted to ask some of the people here if they have any advice on how to save money traveling?  I was looking into using AirBnB, but I have absolutely no experience with the service and don't know what I'm doing with it (not to mention, I don't know how well it would work out for my specific situation).  As far as getting there and back, there are travel options that each have their own issues.  I just want to find the lowest price to get from Tulsa OK to Scottsdale AZ and back.

Oh I also wanted to add on your trip back from after you get your surgery I would suggest you make sure that you get a butt donut or a really comfortable ride back because from what I understand it is going to be slightly painful

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[Devlyn]

Congratulations on the surgery date!

My sister usrs Airbnb quite a bit and swears by it. She suggested that I use it on my recent jaunt around the southern US, but I am leary, as a transgender woman, of attempting to spend the night in a home potentially owned by a devout Southern Baptist. I stuck to the major hotel chains. The staff are professional, and work for companies with equality programs. This may not save you money, but it may well save you aggravation. Good luck!

Hugs, Devlyn

[TaraJo]

Thanks for all the kind words and the encouragement.

I'm excited but nervous, too.  I have a lot I need to take care of between now and then and a lot of expenses to take care of.  I have insurance paying (mostly) for my surgery, but I still have a $3000 deductable.  Plus I need to cover travel, lodging and other, assorted expenses while I'm on the road.  Plus I need a new laptop since my current computer is a desktop (untrustworthy roommate left me not wanting to keep a computer she could easily steal) and I have some dental work that I'd like to get done for another $500.  And then I have all my regular bills like rent and phone.  And I'll have to cover those while I'm not working; I think I can get short term disability, but even that's just sixty percent of my regular pay, so I'm still going to be struggling with money.

So I have some expenses that worry me.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to work some extra overtime and, yeah, AirBnB could certainly help me save money.  Certainly looks cheaper than hotels.  I just don't know if I'm going to have enough privacy to handle AirBnB.  I'll need to be able to dilate without someone barging in on me and I'll be learning to control my bladder with a new set of genitals and I worry a bit about having an accident or two.  And, yeah, there's the possibility that I'll have to share the place with other people who are just plain ol' transphobic or the owner will be hostile. 

Lots to figure out and take care of and budget.  I'm lucky my job has a decent amount of overtime available, but still, money concerns me. 

[Jessica_Rose]

TaraJo, guess who will be going to Scottsdale on April 5? I also have a co-worker who lives down there. Although he knows I am coming for a visit, he doesn't know why yet! I realize we have never met, but I consider everyone on Susan's to be a friend. Maybe I can help somewhere along the way. I live near Colorado Springs. I dislike the TSA, but I enjoy long distance driving.

[Dorit]

I have used Airbnb many times over the years.   I always select the option for Entire Place.  It is somewhat more expensive than just a bedroom, but still much cheaper than a hotel.   This gives you your own bath and kitchen.  I too considered Scottsdale for my coming GRS, but also thought the recovery costs would be high.  Coming from far away, I live in Israel, i would need a three week local recovery before facing the long trip home.  In the end I am doing GRS on December 14 with Dr. Leis in Philadelphia.   We has a recovery apartment above his clinic complete with private bath and kitchen for only $50 per night.   

[Jessica_Rose]

Check with your insurance company about travel and lodging reimbursement. There are no 'in network' providers in my area, so my insurance said they would cover travel and lodging! It won't hurt to ask, the worst they can say is 'no'. Good luck! Love always -- Jessica Rose

[TaraJo]

Check with your insurance company about travel and lodging reimbursement. There are no 'in network' providers in my area, so my insurance said they would cover travel and lodging! It won't hurt to ask, the worst they can say is 'no'. Good luck! Love always -- Jessica Rose

I haven't found it, which is really frustrating and a little baffling.  I mean, I work for my health insurance company (I do preauthorizations for Blue Cross) and we've actually had meetings where we admitted that transportation can be a major issue for people.  Not just trans people, either.  Since Montana is one of our states, there are some really rural, distant places there and people might wind up having to go 3 or 4 hours to see a specialist.  So transportation is a real issue, not just for trans people, and you'd think we would have some way to accomidate medical tourism.  But I haven't found it yet.  I dunno.  Maybe it's a benefit that just doesn't get used all that much.  Truth is, if the patient can't find a doctor in network, they usually just get a waiver and see out of network doctors at in network rates.  Unfortuately, waivers aren't going to help me very much; Dr Ley, the Meltzer clinic and even the Greenbaum Surgery Center are all already in network for me.

[Colleen_definitely]

Yep, I used an out of network exception to get my SRS done.  Thankfully I could stay with a friend for that.

Now when I go to Austin for BA and skull grindery, that's getting pretty expensive even after burning up a ridiculous amount of frequent traveler points that I've accrued though business travel.  Two weeks in a candlewood suites is going to get really boring.

Anyhow, you should be able to use short term disability.  Mine covered it but I had to burn 5 days of sick leave before it kicked in, and even then it was only 60% of my regular pay minus the full rate for insurance 401k, etc...  It's better than nothing but it could be better for sure.

Another thing to check with is if Dr. Ley's office has agreements with local hotels for discounts.  Probably not any cheaper than the airbnb option but it's worth asking about.

[TaraJo]

Yep, I used an out of network exception to get my SRS done.  Thankfully I could stay with a friend for that.

Now when I go to Austin for BA and skull grindery, that's getting pretty expensive even after burning up a ridiculous amount of frequent traveler points that I've accrued though business travel.  Two weeks in a candlewood suites is going to get really boring.

Anyhow, you should be able to use short term disability.  Mine covered it but I had to burn 5 days of sick leave before it kicked in, and even then it was only 60% of my regular pay minus the full rate for insurance 401k, etc...  It's better than nothing but it could be better for sure.

Another thing to check with is if Dr. Ley's office has agreements with local hotels for discounts.  Probably not any cheaper than the airbnb option but it's worth asking about.

Short term disability, yeah, it only kicks in after at least a week and you have to use any remaining PTO first.  I guess I'm lucky I'm good at saving PTO, not to mention the first of the year is the busy season which means we aren't going to be able to take ANY days off for January or Febuary AND the company gives us three diversity days at the beginning of each year.  So I should be good for those.  Heck, I currently have almost 40 hours of PTO saved up.

As far as hotels that have deals with them, this is what's available:


https://www.themeltzerclinic.com/transportation-the-meltzer-clinic-pc.html

The only one I'm especially interested in would be Extended Stay America, mostly because they have a fully equipped kitchen, which in turn can save me on my food bill if I'm able to buy groceries and cook my own food instead of having to eat out for a week.  The prices are still more than AirBnb, though, so I just have to decide whether that extra cost is worth it to have a private bathroom.  AirBnb still looks good, but I wouldn't be getting the whole place to myself unless I'm willing to pay the same as a hotel room.  That makes it a wash.

[Colleen_definitely]

A hotel room with a kitchen is definitely the way to go.  The ESA hotels are generally pretty decent.  Candlewoods and Staybridge hotels are pretty good too.  The Home2 ones that Hilton just rolled out are made to sound like a suite with a kitchen but they really aren't.  At least at the one I tried out you have to go check out hot plates and cooking stuff from the front desk, no thanks.

[Dena]

I am a bit confused. Normally you check into the hospital the day of surgery and you may leave when your discharged about 8 days latter. The hospital feeds you well and you only eat outside the hospital if you want to. You need to show up about 3 days before the surgery to get and use your clean out kit and your not supposed to eat much in the way of food while your cleaning yourself out. Unless you have somebody with you, your room should only be for a few days. The exception would be if your having cosmetic surgery as that doesn't require as long of stay in the hospital however you still need to remain near the hospital.

[TaraJo]

I am a bit confused. Normally you check into the hospital the day of surgery and you may leave when your discharged about 8 days latter. The hospital feeds you well and you only eat outside the hospital if you want to. You need to show up about 3 days before the surgery to get and use your clean out kit and your not supposed to eat much in the way of food while your cleaning yourself out. Unless you have somebody with you, your room should only be for a few days. The exception would be if your having cosmetic surgery as that doesn't require as long of stay in the hospital however you still need to remain near the hospital.

Well, I was asking about my travel plans.  I wanted to ask the Meltzer clinic how long I would need to get a hotel room and/or when to plan my travel for.  Originally, I had been told that I would be in Scottsdale from May 27 for my pre surgery consult until June 6.  But when I told them I was trying to plan my travel, they told me that they wanted me to stay in the hospital until June 6 and then stay somewhere local for another 6 days or so.  Honestly, those extra six days threw me for a loop because I wasn't expecting it either.  The only thing I figure is that they want me to stay extra days since I'm having multiple procedures done at once.

[Anne Blake]

My partner and I stayed at the Extended Stay America in Scottsdale during my recovery time. It was a horrible place. The first room they put us in was not the handicap accessible room that we had reserved and smelled heavily of urine. They moved us to another room that didn't smell as bad. The staff was limited and not very effective at meeting needs. The other guests were a bit questionable and at one point the police were called and controlled access for a few hours for unknown reasons. The hotel is just a short walk from the surgery center and from old town Scottsdale, it had that going for it but we were very happy to get out of there as soon as we could.

[Arianna Valentine]

My partner and I stayed at the Extended Stay America in Scottsdale during my recovery time. It was a horrible place. The first room they put us in was not the handicap accessible room that we had reserved and smelled heavily of urine. They moved us to another room that didn't smell as bad. The staff was limited and not very effective at meeting needs. The other guests were a bit questionable and at one point the police were called and controlled access for a few hours for unknown reasons. The hotel is just a short walk from the surgery center and from old town Scottsdale, it had that going for it but we were very happy to get out of there as soon as we could.

See it's places like that that I don't even know why they allow those places to stay in business

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