Stupid To Wait?

[xAndrewx]

So lately I've been in a mad rush to get started on T. Tomorrow I get my Christmas money that will cover a doctors visit and my T. Nothing else. I was going to use it for that but now I'm reconsidering. I want to transition but I just got a job offer, just have to wait for an opening (less than two months) and the job will give me insurance. I will also have steady income to pay for my T if I wait. I'm passing 99% of the time and well...

I don't want to get the bloodwork done now and have a bill if I can get my insurance to cover it and my visit to the doctor in two months. So, is it stupid to wait? I feel torn, I'm impatient to start but at the same time I've waited 4 years. What is less than two more months if I can really afford it then? I don't know I guess I'm just wondering if I'm crazy for choosing to wait. 

[Cindy]

Hi Michael,

Difficult to answer really as it is a very personal decision. In the scheme of things 2 months doesn't seem that long. Do you know how long T need to be used to have a visible effect? I of course realise the mental effect for all of us is instant, finally taking charge of our hormones. And you are certain of getting the job? I presume and please don't be insulted, is that the people offering the job know you are a guy? And would be employing you with that expectation? If that is the case it may be an idea to put up for another 2 months.

Oh another thought, how long before you can claim on medical insurance from the job? In Australia, where I am, medical insurance has waiting periods for various procedures. For example you have to have insurance for at least 12 months before they cover pregnancy, etc. They will cover emergency stuff straight away but lots of thing they will not. May be worth while checking that out first.

Cindy

[xAndrewx]

Hey Cindy thanks for answering. Those are a lot of good things for me to consider. They do know I'm transgender so they see me as male. As far as insurance my family member working there says insurance can take a month or two which I really didn't factor into my wait time.

I think part of the stress and questioning right now is that my interviewer wasn't sure when a spot will open up for me so I don't know exactly how long I will be waiting.  If it were a case of waiting a month I could be like "Okay, it's only a month and then another month wait for the insurance" but not knowing throws a wrench in it all. He told me it could take up to 2 months or they could call tomorrow with an offer. Maybe the intelligent thing to do is save half of what I get and work extra hard for chore money so that I won't be waiting forever if I don't get the job soon. I'm over thinking things again, I've really got to stop doing that. Thanks

[tekla]

Insurance is not a monolithic deal, every policy can be written differently.  Many companies have two or three choices, some offer much better coverage to the executives then to the rank and file.  (or, like one company I worked for they offered the executive coverage to the rest of us, but there was no way we could have paid for it, it would have been about 1/3 of my check, so Hello Kaiser.)  Those choice can be changed like once a year, so once you sign, you are stuck.  So it would pay to really read the fine print about the coverage first.   Also, I bet you will not even be eligible to sign up until you've hit the end of the 90 day trail period, but you should check on that.

[Janet_Girl]

Michael,  Don't forget that most insurances don't start till after 90 days and that is if you are full time.  If you are part time it could take up to 6 months to get insurance.

I agree that a steady paycheck will be best to maintain your T.  However maybe you should go with your original plan.  They can not reject your medication, because it is a preexisting condition.  That is now illegal. 

[Robert Scott]

I agree that a steady paycheck will be best to maintain your T.  However maybe you should go with your original plan.  They can not reject your medication, because it is a preexisting condition.  That is now illegal. 

I believe it's only illegal for kids at the moment .. and that it will be 2012 for it to be illegal for adults

[tekla]

If the law even lasts that long.

[spacial]

I can't claim to understand these issues Michael. But think carefully and the best of luck to you.

[ilanthefirst]

Have you checked that the insurance in question even covers trans-related treatments?  I'm insured through my school and through my partner, and my partner's insurance explicitly excludes any trans-related care.  In the press release where they announced that it was official on every plan they offer, they said it was the industry standard and they had to keep up, which seems to be backed up by other things I've read.

If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate due to insurance worries.  With regards to having it count as a pre-existing condition, the doctors you saw to get the letter count just as much for that as the one you're going to see for T, so there's no point in worrying about if they're going to pull that on you or not.  Holding off until you have more of a cushion on savings or a steady income is a different issue. . .

[xAndrewx]

Thanks everyone Well called the doctor because I was considering going then and asked if they had an available appointment. The receptionist asked if I had "his insurance" even after explaining I was trans then when I again explained it was me she was rude and told me the rate was $100 before any tests and the doctor would want to schedule an EKG for every new patient, is that standard? Then explained the doctor that would be seeing me was an entirely different doctor than the last person told me. Apparently the doctor I was told I'd be going to doesn't take new patients. I think I'll just wait.

Ilan: The company's insurance just covered SRS for a friend of mine and covers the hormones for a few different friends both male and female so I'm guessing as long I get the same plan it will cover mine as well? I think worst comes to worst I'll hold off until like you said I have steady income