The real cost of top surgery.

[Darrin Scott]

Ok, I thought top surgery ran about $6,000. I was recently told it ran MUCH higher. How much does it cost to get it?

[J.T.]

That may just be the surgeon's fee... but you have to factor in the surgery center and anesthesiologist.

Then there is hotel stay if out of the area etc. as well as food and airfare.

It will depend on type of surgery and your surgeon too.

I can't recall anymore, but I think i paid 11 or 12k total.

[xAndrewx]

Like J.T. said it depends on the surgeon, how much hotel costs, food prices, travel, and any extra fees. Garramone charges $5,900 for double incision I believe whereas I want to say Brownstein charges over $6,000. Some people can get insurance to cover all/part of it. Some people live nearby the surgeon and have cheap travel costs. Do you know who you were wanting as a surgeon?

[Mark]

Like J.T. said it depends on the surgeon, how much hotel costs, food prices, travel, and any extra fees. Garramone charges $5,900 for double incision I believe whereas I want to say Brownstein charges over $6,000. Some people can get insurance to cover all/part of it. Some people live nearby the surgeon and have cheap travel costs. Do you know who you were wanting as a surgeon?

I believe brownstein might be a little higher then that.

[Darrin Scott]

Well, I if I were to go to someone like Dr. Garramone I wouldn't have to worry about air fare because I live in Florida and would probably just drive down there.

[GnomeKid]

mine was around 6000. Probably closer to 6500 overall including gas and supplies for home.

I went to a place only about an hour away.  We didn't have to pay for a hotel and travel expenses that way. [other than gas of course.]

[Adio]

I haven't had mine yet but I can give you an estimate and breakdown of the costs.

Surgery itself=$5900 (Garramone)
Flight+Car=$310 (for one)
Hotel=$450 (for one)
Food=$150 (for one)
Pre-op doctor's visit=$200 ($15 copay)
Pre-op lab work=$150 (out of pocket--this lab is very cheap)
Post-op medications=$45
Misc travel/post-op items=$100

Total cost:  $7120

So basically, a little over $7k.

EDIT:  I thought the car/flight was $400 each, but I checked and it's only $310.

[Logan1986]

mine was 7250 total, including all post op visits and fees

[marte]

Sorry, I'm completely ignorant as far as the US health system goes
But you are talking about private surgeons, yes? You can also resort to surgery in the public sector funded by the state? Or does this not apply in the US?

Sorry if it's off topic, I was just curious

[Linus]

Sorry, I'm completely ignorant as far as the US health system goes
But you are talking about private surgeons, yes? You can also resort to surgery in the public sector funded by the state? Or does this not apply in the US?

Sorry if it's off topic, I was just curious

As a Canadian living in the US, as far as I can tell no top surgery is "officially" funded by Medicare (the public healthcare system). However, I've heard that there may be ways of doing this. The reality is that top surgery is pretty much a plastic surgeons domain and that is viewed as elective surgery rather than necessary, regardless of what the AMA has a determined. And in order for Medicare to even considerr something you have to be either disabled or impoverished with no private health care.

Add to that a system that is nearly un-navigable unless you spend hours at it and well...

My private health care benefits should cover it (Aetna POS II) since we have no exclusions but I will have to fight to get it covered. I'm expecting it to be around $10k.

[wheat thins are delicious]

Medicare is only for those 65 and older. 
Medicaid is for low income people.
Then there is insurance through your job or a private company.

None of these will cover the cost of top surgeries as it is seen as a cosmetic procedure.  There are ways to get around this if you qualify for a breast reduction, you could find a surgeon who is willing to reduce all the way and make your chest male.  I'm sure there are other ways but I don't know what they are. 

[marte]

Thanks for clarifying. That doesn't seem right at all I wouldn't have a chance to ever get surgery under those conditions

[kyril]

Medicaid is for low income people disabled people, pregnant women, and children.

For the most part, any non-pregnant adult under 65 who doesn't have a severe disability is not eligible for any form of public health care in the US other than free urgent care clinics.

In some states, extremely-low-income parents of minor children are eligible for Medicaid, and other states have subsidized private insurance for low-income adults (but usually with income guidelines that require single people to be homeless and starving and then fork over all their remaining cash to the insurance company). Some states or cities provide subsidized insurance or direct care to people who are HIV-positive or living with other expensive chronic illnesses like kidney failure. All of these programs are extremely limited.

Even those who qualify for public insurance in some form will not be able to get "elective" procedures like top surgery covered, nor will most people with private health insurance. Essentially all American trans people will pay for surgery out of their own pocket.

[BloodLeopard]

Mine was $9,000. Private Doctor. And basically I think it was so expensive because I basically demanded to have it without a referral, wait or anything. He did it within about 2~3 week of me first visiting and talking to me.

Also this was all out of my pocket, I don't really have much else.

[Linus]

I just got quoted $9250, not including pathology by one surgeon. She's never done FTMs specifically but has done gynecomastia (2-3 times a year) plus multiple breast augmentation/reduction for women.

I'll be getting another quote from someone who I know has done a few trans men (Dr. Voloshin in Newport, CA)

[Darrin Scott]

Well, $7k-$9k is still not as close to $12k as I was quoted.

[Linus]

Well, $7k-$9k is still not as close to $12k as I was quoted.

Where/who was this? Seems high..

[Darrin Scott]

The GSA at my college did a transgendered talk with a few different speakers. Including a trans woman. When they were talking about the cost of surgeries I said that the cost of top surgery was around $7k. I was then told that to get breast implants was around $12k on up and that top surgery was probably the same. It didn't sound right because I know lots of you guys paid between $7k-9k. Which is why I started the thread.

[xAndrewx]

Just guessing but implants probably cost more because of the implants themselves where-as we don't need anything but fat/tissue sucked out and some reconstruction. I think the priciest I've heard was about $8,000 or something for just the surgery costs not including food and such. I have a top surgery pricing thread somewhere on the site but I don't remember where.
I'll see if I can find it later and link it if you would like?

[Darrin Scott]

I'd like that.

While at this point in my life I don't consider myself trans I do want top surgery. I just want to see how much I should start saving for once I start working.