Medical Reform in the US: Discussion; what is being done about this?

[Sarah]

So yeah,
one of the big issues we, in the GenderQueer community are facing is the issues with the medical community.
Whether it's access to hormones, or surgery, or getting insurance to cover it, or being denied coverage  as a pre-existing condition....

This is a serious health crisis.
Meds have gone through the roof,
Surgery can cost as much or more than a college education...
And almost none of us are covered by insurance for our GenderQueer Specific medical needs...
If we have insurance at all.
Then there's the down the road factor:
Being denied coverage for other things due to 'pre-exixting' conditions like say surgery or hormone therapy...
Because 'obviously' if we had surgery or were on hormones our diabeties or whatever was complicated by that and we may be denied...

What is being done to do somthing about this?
Obviously healthcare in the US is part of a larger problem,
but the existing needs of the GenderQueer community have been there for some time, even before the present healthcare crisis.

What are we doing about it?
What are others?
What is being done to address this?
What should be done?

Discuss this here...

Thank you!,
-Sara

[gennee]

I'm not a medical professional, but Saint Vincent's Hospital here in New York trains the medical personnel on the needs of gender variant people. They are proactive and provide services to those whose gender is different.

Gennee

[Sarah]

that's a start

-Sara

[gennee]

that's a start

-Sara

Sara, is it okay if I add 'Between the Lines' to my blogsite? I need a site geared toward teens.

Gennee

[Janet_Girl]

Kaiser Permanente covers medications, and if you search you can find doctors who are familiar with TS/TG issues.  My doctor is a Kaiser Permanente Primary and I get my meds thru them.  Any surgeries are not an d I don't even think that they have anyone that is trained.

Janet