Oh boy, the first 'screw you' bills from HRT...

[Autumn]

Labcorp, $128 for some set of codes I can't read
From the same day, $350 from the doctor for the vein puncture, testosterone, and panel. Since the doctor's office just drew blood... I don't understand that.

Of course insurance paid neither. Apparently, testosterone level isn't an important test for men or women.

I had to carry the blood vials to the testing center myself, too.

Transition costs for me have now run about $14-15k counting laser, electro, hormones, and dr bills. I'm not even full time yet.

[paulault55]

Autumn, my first bill were off the wall, Endo $185.00 labs $1900.00, second visit 6 months later Endo $185.00 and labs $800,00.

9 laser sessions over $3000.00 and electro  42 sessions $2700.00 with more to come.

Name change cost $111.00 plus cost of parking.   

I knew going in i would be paying most all of my transition expenses.

Paula

[sarahb]

Yeah, the expenses are pretty substantial. I like that people think it's so easy to just wake up and say, "hey, I want to change genders." They have no idea how much it costs, monetarily, mentally, etc. I would have to put my out of pocket expenses at around $70k...so far. There's another $20k I'll be shelling out in a few months, that's a total cost of $80-90k.

~Sarah

[Janet_Girl]

I lucked out on HRT because my Health Care covered a lot ( $60 co-pay ), but now I am stuck paying out of pocket.  Laser ( $ 1000 ) was by credit card.  Orchie was from 401K ( $1500 ). 

Further expenses are unknown, but the price of Beauty in immeasurable.



Janet

[Autumn]

All of this costs a fraction of a goddamn gastric bipass for some fatty. I'm intensely bitter that our >-bleeped-< isn't covered and that stuff was/is.

[tekla]

I'm intensely bitter that our >-bleeped-< isn't covered and that stuff was/is.

Yeah, but that's easy.  Its a numbers game.  How many transsexuals are there?  Now, go to WallMart and find the number of people who are having trouble managing their weight (see, I can be diplomatic if I want to be, I just don't want to) and it pretty much explains itself.

[Autumn]

Basically, if we randomly executed a morbidly obese person once a month, factoring in the costs of heart disease, gastric, and diabetes, how many SRS operations could we fund in 10 years?

[tekla]

if we randomly executed a morbidly obese person once a month

Hey, hey, that's the job of McDonalds and the Fast Food Nation, and they do it very well.  And its a lot more than one a month. 

[Hannah]

go to WallMart and find the number of people who are having trouble managing their weight (see, I can be diplomatic if I want to be, I just don't want to)

* Becca twitches and makes a peeping sound as her grip on reality slips even further away

[Julie Marie]

My HRT costs were pretty manageable, around $250 for the visit and blood test and another $85 for the meds, which is good for about four months.

So far I've paid out of pocket between $40-$45K for GRS, BA, FFS, HRT and about 30 hours electro.  My insurance picked up maybe $500 before they "caught it" and said "sex transferal is not covered".  Is that like a bus transfer?

But the biggest financial hit by far comes from the loss of my job.  It's been the most expensive cost of transitioning.

[gothique11]

Wow, I'm glad I live in Canada ATM. Those bills scare me!

[Autumn]

What's a little heartbreaking is to know how different my life would be right now, if instead of living paycheck to paycheck at home I had been able to invest $15k in the market when it was down. I'd be sitting pretty with a pretty impressive portfolio at the moment. Of course, all of life would be different without GID.

[tiger]

After reading some of the other posts. I'm grateful that I've got insurance and they are covering some of it. All my medications are only $5 for 90 days. Seeing the Dr. is only $20 co-pay. The lab work for my levels is only about $80 for my part. Therapy sessions are $25 after the first 8.

I do work for a fortune 500 company that does recognize "gender identity".

I haven't started laser yet. That is going to be all out of my pocket. My SRS is going to cost about $20k + travel & other expenses. Going to borrow that from the 401k. Name change that i haven't done yet is $120 to the county courthouse.

[Autumn]

*guffaw* $25 after 8. i'd go almost every other week for the hell of it at that price.

[Suzy]

So sorry, Autumn!  That is not fair, is it?  Some of us are finding ways to finagle insurance into covering our stuff under other codes and everything.  It is a struggle we all seem to be facing.  Wanna be roomies in Canada?

Kristi

[Autumn]

I'm not sure if the bloodwork was unapproved because it was in close proximity to the same test by another facility, or if the lab agency they used was dishonest about fully taking my insurance, or if "Testosterone: 70, Estrogen; 1500, gender: male" did it

I haven't had time to call in about the billing. I'll get around to it after finals.

I just got a bill for my MRI and xray. I started laughing. $12.67. Yeah I'll pay that, no contest.

[Ms Jessica]

I always had the same thing happen to me, and then I learned a little about why I was getting hosed:

First, you might be paying out of pocket if you haven't met your deductible for the year.  a ppo can have a higher deductible per year, but they'll cover more (I used to get all my HRT covered, my endo, and the bloodwork).  HMO's won't cover as much: only some of my hrt is covered, endo is not covered, bloodwork can be covered depending on where I go. 

Where you go to get your blood work done is important.  When I was on a ppo, I could get my blood work done at the hospital where my endo is.  On an hmo, I have to pay out of pocket for that.  My HMO though, will let me take me my doctor's orders to Quest Diagnostics and get the work done there.  They haven't been complaining about that, or refusing to pay, so I'm assuming that it's okay.  *knocks on wood*

[mmelny]

Wow, I'm glad I live in Canada ATM. Those bills scare me!

Moving to Canada to transition was one of the wisest fiscal decisions I've made in this journey.. but why do I find myself flying everywhere else to have the surgeries!!! booo! lol....

I've spent very little Canadian $$$ on transition, as HRT and doc visits are covered and I found a very inexpensive laser tech here... but don't even ask me how much I've spent in US$$$ on gender conferences, and FFS, etc... and let's add in some half a million Thai Baht $$$$  ... Scary.   

I did use to be a home owner, now I rent... all of my equity went into... me!  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I'd agree with Julie though.. this is all pennies in comparison to losing one's job.  I've been fortunate to keep mine through all of this... Knock on wood.  My heart goes out to you Julie, best of luck finding a new position!

*huggs*,
Melan

[sarahF]

The cost of beauty is not cheep. Electrolysis will end up costing more than SRS
Sarah

[FairyGirl]

The cost of beauty is not cheep. Electrolysis will end up costing more than SRS
Sarah

I've just discovered this is true... eek