Being discriminated against at the clinic... Scared.

[Cairus]

Okay, so I went through about six hours of therapy (it cost me $720 over a month and a half, out of pocket, for 'the ->-bleeped-<- specialist' therapist in town, who wasn't covered by medicaid, as none of them really are anyway) and got my letter in order to go down to the clinic. This clinic is one of the few joints in town that is 'open' to treating trangendered patients(me), and medicaid also doesn't cover any of the work I needed to have done there. Because, you know. It's '->-bleeped-<- stuff'.

Anyway, I went in there and saw one of the physicians on duty, she told me that before they'd give me hormones I had to go through a bunch of bloodwork first to prove that I'm physically healthy/ready to start hormones. She wrote me a prescription for:

-a complete metabolic panel
-a completel bloodcell count
-a liver panel
-a lipid panel
-a thyroid panel
-and a prolactin level check.

I had the bloodwork done here and there so I could get it all done at the cheapest price: $250, plus the $100 for the appointment where I got the quest list of mandatory tests I was told I needed to have done. All in all about $350 bucks. I called back and forth to make sure the clinic got all of the results for all of the bloodwork, and called to ask what now would be needed of me, I assumed a pap smear would be the next step.

The physician said to me, 'yes, we need a pap, but secondly, you're too young for hormones. You're only 20 years old. You're the youngest person to walk in here and try to get hormone treatment, so we're probably going to require at least 6 months, preferably a year, of therapy, before you can start hormones. I'll call your therapist to ask about it, but we're probably going to require more therapy due to your age.'

More therapy 'due to my age'? They knew how old I was when I walked in there, they scanned a copy of my ID. They looked at and approved my letter before making me go through the blood work. I can't afford more therapy- and I'm 20 years old! I have several years worth of RLE, and they're trying to tell me I haven't talked to the therapist long enough to be 'certain of my choice'. They're being ageist and trying to push their conservative agenda upon me. This isn't only wrong because I'm being discriminated against- but because they made me go through hundreds of dollars worth of blood testing while dangling hormones in front of me as bait only to tell me 'no'? If they 'require' six months of therapy for hormones, why do all of my older transgendered brothers and sisters get treatment from them with a letter that was written after a one hour assessment?

Also, if I agreed and went to therapy for six more months, all of the bloodwork they just made me go through would then be out of date and I'd have to pay for it all over again. That alone almost makes this seem like some kind of conspiracy to rape some poor ->-bleeped-<- goon(me) out of money they don't have, only to deny them.

Here is what I'm scared of: I contacted the moderator for the tg alliance network here and cried to her about it. She scheduled a meeting with the clinic, and asked why they're discriminating against me based on age. They told her it was 'something other than that', but that they wouldn't tell her because of doctor-patient confidentiality, and I would have to be there to discuss the matter further. So she set up a second meeting with them early next week, where I will go with her so they can't use doctor-patient confidentiality as an excuse.

What I'm scared of is, 'you're too young' was the exact reason the doc told me 'no' over the phone. Why is she now trying to say 'no, it's actually something else'? She's lying to the ->-bleeped-<- mod, and I'm scared of what they're going to try to say when I show up there. What if they make up something to try and make me look like I'm some kind of bad guy, or try to say I'm emotionally unstable for some reason? I'm scared of going in there, being picked on, crying, and then being told I'm unfit for some bogus reason and having Anja(the mod) looking down on me also, based on some dramatic lie. To me, the phys is obviously lying to push their own agenda- but I'm going to be the only one who truly knows that. 'You're too young, you need more therapy' versus, 'I never said that, you're unfit for other reasons'??  Lie!

I'm afraid of what I'm supposed to say if they start lying through their teeth and we have to play the 'he said she said' game.

[Lachlann]

Sounds more like old fashioned than anything. I went to a therapist who told me I couldn't get it until I was 25... that's 5 more years of waiting when the legal age for hormones is 18.

Telling you that you're too young sounds suspicious to me.

[CodyJess]

In your position, I'd be up front with my fears and concerns with the mod before actually going into the meeting. Tell them everything that was told to you, and that you're afraid they're going to make up some bogus crap. The more prepared you both are going into this, the less stressful it will hopefully be.

I'd also consider demanding a refund if they still refuse to treat you. It's pretty much negligence and abuse on their part to do all that testing, knowing full well the reason for it, and then to turn around and deny you the care that the testing was preliminary to (unless it was the test results, which would be bull->-bleeped-<- after they told you it was because of your age).

[Flan]

my 2 cents

ask for a copy *in writing* of their policy regarding rx'ing hormones (to trans clients)

if they won't produce an official policy, then offer an informed consent agreement sorta like this:
http://www.transgenderlegal.com/health1.htm

[gqueering]

I'm scared of going in there, being picked on, crying, and then being told I'm unfit for some bogus reason and having Anja(the mod) looking down on me also, based on some dramatic lie.

I think you need to talk to Anja about your fears before the meeting and ask her for her advice. At the meeting you need to be in control of your emotions so they can't manipulate you and claim you are unstable. Your attitude needs to be formal, polite but firm. Act as if you are talking to an equal, watch your body language, and speak in clear sentences. Basically, act like a professional in a meeting with peers, or pretend you are being interviewed on television...basically, role play:  practice how you will sit, what you want to say and how you will say it, before hand. This will show that you have maturity, regardless of your age.
If they ask you a question that is manipulative and throws you, a good way to respond is to ask "why do you ask that?" or "could you please clarify what you mean by that?". And if you feel threatened by someone instead of making eye contact stare at the spot between their eyes and put all your focus into controlling your voice - do not give away that you're scared.
Hope that helps some!

[Terra]

I'd ask for the policy too, but I bet its up to the prescribing doctor.

It might actually be age. After I left the military I was 21 and trying to start hormones at the Brown Clinic in Chicago. It was only because I had left my career in the service that they bypassed their policy of a 6 month therapy period. She said it showed just how serious I was about transition.

You might be serious about transition, but to be fair they might just be trying to be 'helpful'. Just in case you weren't sure about it. Talk to the doc if it is their policy to wait and see if there might be some sort of waiver. There usually is. Or you might have your therapist speak on your behalf.

[gennee]

Look at this way: If eighteen is the legal age it needs to be mentioned in their policy. If they don't want to do it they need to demonstrate why you shouldn't get hormones. Just to say 'your too young' doesn't cut it as far as  can see. You need not be afraid to challenge this or it will continue on. Discrimination needs to be called out. If you back down, this is what they want.


Gennee

[Meshi]

I would have asked for a letter of rejection from the Dr. stating why at the time he/she denied you.  Then you would have had it documented.  If you followed all SOC and have the letter from your therapist and you are certainly of legal age,  I would have called an attorney and sued them.  This  is clear cut discrimination.

[LynnER]

  If you followed all SOC and have the letter from your therapist and you are certainly of legal age,  I would have called an attorney and sued them.  This  is clear cut discrimination.

Clear discrimination is not discrimination when its against a transperson in most states... it would never fly.

[Meshi]

I would tend to put the blame on this "therapist" as 6 hrs of therapy does not suffice, unless the therapist has a connection with the clinic.   Did this therapist even write a letter to the clinic before hand to approve her getting the hormone treatment?,  Or did she just walk into this clinic with her letter?  Seems proper protocol wasnt used by this therapist.  When i first received hormone treatment, the clinics Dr. already had the letter in hand and i was already approved to get the hrt.  Only reason i had to get bloodwork done was so they could get a baseline of where my hormone levels were at.  I would personally put the blame on this therapist for not helping her patient.  If she did follow the proper procedures and the clinic already had the letters of referral and that she had put in the proper amount of time and diagnosed GID then she would not be having this problem.  Maybe this clinic and therapist have some kind of "hook and bait" kinda thing goin on where they get patients to pay ridiculous amounts of money, when they know full well the proper procedure for getting the hrt in the first place.  Discrimination would have come into play if she had had her letter approved already and then after the testing they refused her, but looks like they didnt. 

[LynnER]

Other advice, If this clinic won't help you, go to a GP. GP's are perfectly capable (and willing) now a days to prescribe HRT and the like to trans patients. Why go through the expense and frustration of this clinic. Nice thing is most GP's ask for the same bloodwork, and you already have a recent copy