Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I've been doing some preliminary research about surgeons who perform top surgery (double incision mastectomy) and who take Aetna or Blue Cross insurance.  I live near Portland, OR, so I'm specifically researching those who live nearby.

Now I've read a few things online that seem to imply that OHSU has surgeons that can perform top surgery.  This is from the Q center (http://www.pdxqcenter.org/resources/medical/surgeons-plastic-surgeons/)
I found this document while google searching (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCwE4AxIt5lTlTGAHPF4QIDlnRJX9aZNk_WSKaQ4aDQ/edit?hl=en_US#)

Both sources list two surgeons from OHSU: Hema Thakar, MD (https://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/for-healthcare-professionals/providers/index.cfm?personid=thakar) and Juliana Hansen, MD. (http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/providers/index.cfm?personid=hansenju#)

However I can't find any more information on these two surgeons.  I link to their website from OHSU, but even their website there doesn't specify that they can perform top surgery, just "plastic surgery" or "breast cancer reconstructive surgery."  And while the same body part, it's not the same surgery, and I just wanted to make sure they even offered it.

The link from the Q center says that both surgeons at OHSU accept "Most Major Commercial Insurance". 
The link to the google document says that both surgeons at OHSU "Will bill any insurance.  Are in SOME AETNA networks, not clear if student aetna is in coverage.  Blue Cross Preferred"



I'm just curious of anyone knows anything about the topics of OHSU, these two surgeons, and/or if they accept insurance.

Certainly going the insurance route is far more complicated, but I'm going to research, in depth, all my options before I decide anything.

I know this topic is ANCIENT, but I'm looking for the same info. Specifically on Dr. Hansen at OHSU. She does do FTM top surgery, but I'd like to hear of any actual experiences.

I asked them about it this year(I'm in Oregon as well) and they told me they did not preform FtM top surgery.

Jadams95 - curious as to who (or what department) you asked, as they actually do perform ftm top surgery. I have a consult scheduled with Dr. Hansen.
Also, I am in a position that I could get the misinformation corrected if I know who you talked to.

Quote from: MacG on June 03, 2014, 04:32:31 PM
I know this topic is ANCIENT, but I'm looking for the same info. Specifically on Dr. Hansen at OHSU. She does do FTM top surgery, but I'd like to hear of any actual experiences.

I have nothing to offer you in terms of real life information.  However, I wanted to say that even if she is a surgeon who hasn't done a lot of these surgeries, she seems to be a great choice in comparison to other surgeons with little experience.  She specializes in breasts, specifically, reconstruction, and the like.  If you're going to with someone who has not done tons of these, I think someone like her would be a good choice.  Her experience would definitely boost my confidence in her doing a good job (and also being meticulous about it).

I hope you consult goes well.

Thanks, Brett. I'll post back here as I learn/experience more.

I know the original post is old but OHSU services are spoken of so rarely across the boards. I'm 3.5 weeks post op with DR Hansen. Dr Hema Thaker has left OHSU recently which leaves Hansen as the only FTM surgeon.

My consults started in June, with some back and forth on insurance (I've got Medicare which just lifted ban) my surgery was scheduled. The whole process was positive from front to back office staff. DR Hansen is very approachable and great at answering questions. She has her resident well versed as well. My surgery was the 19th of August and I've been healing great! No issues after those nasty drains came out. My grafts are healing nicely, my scars seem thin but the skin glue is taking good time falling off.

I have a larger scar then most would have as I had lost over a 100 lbs and this because removal of a lot of excess skin. DR Hansen gave me a choice, less hanging skin or smaller scar. I picked skin coming off. 

I will be posting pictures when my initial healing calms down. 3 week lost op shots don't give an accurate result picture.

Bumping this up with a request for any further information people might have about surgeons in the Portland/Southern Washington area. I do see top surgery listed on the OHSU site, and obviously people have had surgeries done there w/ Dr. Hansen, but I can't find any pics or anything.

My consult with Dr. Hansen went well, and I am hoping for a January surgery date. Though I'm working with insurance and it's rough going so far (clueless insurance).

Quote from: MacG on October 25, 2014, 05:10:29 AM
My consult with Dr. Hansen went well, and I am hoping for a January surgery date. Though I'm working with insurance and it's rough going so far (clueless insurance).

Good to hear, MacG! 

Regarding insurance.  Are you on testosterone?  Often insurance companies won't pay for top surgery unless you are on it.  Does yours differentiate when it comes to whether or not they will pay?  I am mostly interested as I will most likely be working with my company to include trans health coverage in our policy and I would like to be able to push for top surgery to be covered even when someone isn't on T.  I am curious to know if other companies are doing this.

Brett, I looked more clearly at my specific insurance policy and it does require a year of hrt for surgery. I'm still trying to get started on T, so I'll see if I can push surgery through sooner. Insurance denied my consult as well as an appointment with my PCP. They are ->-bleeped-<-s so I'm appealing. However, my employer is on my side and is helping me navigate this.

I am trying to get OHP (CareOregon) to cover my surgery, supposedly they will be starting next year covering trans-related surgeries. Hopefully either OHSU or a doctor I've heard of in Lake Oswego (don't know his name :( )will take my insurance and I will be able to move on with my life soon!

Any updates on consults or pictures? Unfortunate that there's no portfolio of her work available online. If she's good that'd save me a hell of a lot of money.

I'm authorized for surgery and planning a January date. I'll post when I have more info or pics, for sure.

Awesome, best of luck to you!

Just a minor update. I switched insurance (same insurance provider, but different policy number) so that delayed my surgery date a little. But I'm SCHEDULED for top surgery with Juliana Hansen, M.D. at OHSU for February 17.

Since whomever is looking at this thread might be in Oregon, here are a couple Oregon (OHP, others) resource links...
http://transmedicare.com/oregon-resources.html
http://oregontranshealth.com/

Thanks, MacG!  Sorry to hear your surgery date was bumped out further, but I am really excited to hear about how it goes for you!  I am contemplating Dr. Hansen because I would prefer to avoid traveling too far for someone else (I've already ruled out Dr. Nguyen, who is the only Oregon surgeon I know of). 

I spoke with an OHSU staffer on Monday and they are continuing to develop a transgender specific care program and center.  I really appreciate you guys sharing info and pushing those doors open for all of us.  I am advocating for an expanded residency there that is inclusive of endocrinology and surgery programs.  Thank You for moving the needle.

I'm involved in the transgender health program committee at OHSU. The coordinator for the program (a brand new position) started yesterday. As I have cohesive info, I can post in this thread. I think this program will be beneficial to so many Oregonians and others in the Pacific NW, not just OHSU patients.

I'm excited to hear more about this doctor! I would love to be able to just drive 40 minutes to my surgeon and go home afterward instead of flying to Florida.

Quote from: MacG on January 16, 2015, 04:23:48 PM
I'm involved in the transgender health program committee at OHSU. The coordinator for the program (a brand new position) started yesterday. As I have cohesive info, I can post in this thread. I think this program will be beneficial to so many Oregonians and others in the Pacific NW, not just OHSU patients.

Thank you for keeping us updated. I've been looking a little at OHSU and look forward to your updates!

I have a consult with Dr. Hansen tomorrow and I'm really confident it will go well. I have insurance through Providence and I had a nurse case manager who helped me get my top surgery process started and he told me that he's sent a lot of his FTM clients to Dr. Hansen with nothing but good remarks about her.

I was really happy also, when I made my appointment because the woman I spoke to (megan I think) first called me after my referral came through and used my preferred name and pronouns right off the bat without a single mistake. Then the woman I spoke to with their medical records area told me that they have a new preferred name and pronoun section in their system for trans folks. Hopefully this will become a good place for people in the PNW to come for treatment.

I'll let you guys know how my experience with her is.

For what it's worth, Outside In (a low income hormone provider) strongly recommends Dr. Hansen, and one of the docs, who plans to open a trans specific practice, thinks very highly over her. I think in depth reviews would be very helpful at this stage for everyone in the community.  :)

Quote from: Adam_ on January 27, 2015, 09:27:12 PM
I have a consult with Dr. Hansen tomorrow and I'm really confident it will go well. I have insurance through Providence ...

Adam: Did Providence require you to meet the 1-year-on-T requirement before you could schedule your consult?  I am working with a case manager, as well, and there's some confusion on whether I can schedule my consult now, or if I have to wait for the consult until I've met my 1-year-on-T birthday (in September).

And in general, I am excited to hear your update about how the consult went!!

Quote from: ridleysw on January 28, 2015, 01:45:06 PM
Adam: Did Providence require you to meet the 1-year-on-T requirement before you could schedule your consult?  I am working with a case manager, as well, and there's some confusion on whether I can schedule my consult now, or if I have to wait for the consult until I've met my 1-year-on-T birthday (in September).

And in general, I am excited to hear your update about how the consult went!!

Providence did require me to be on T for a year, I think that might be a universal requirement for most places because Dr. Hansen asked how long I'd been on T as well.

Overall, the consult was awesome. Dr. Hansen's staff were extremely respectful about my name and pronouns. She had an intern with her and they were both really respectful and made me feel so comfortable. Dr. Hansen is very personable and very good at what she does. She's booked out until April/May for surgery right now, even longer for consults. But even at this point I'd completely recommend her to anyone looking to get top surgery at OHSU.

I have top surgery scheduled with Dr. Hansen for feb 17.  I'm not even starting T until after, so I'd say go ahead and ask about this. Maybe it's insurance-related. Maybe the surgeon wants to know where you're at in transition.

I had my pre op with Dr. Hansen and her resident yesterday (jan 28), so I may have just missed you, Adam!

Did you get to see her work?

I am driving from Seattle on Wednesday for a consultation. Everyone has been really great at answering my questions so far. They are a really good group of people.

I feel a little anxious going that far for a consultation not even having seen her work, even though I have heard nothing but good things.

Hobbsy11,  I asked to see her work,  but I had a huge list of questions and didn't end up looking at anything. I've seen her work on other guys on Facebook. 

How did your consult go?

It was awesome. I did not get a surgery date because staff was gone by the time I had finished. My appointment was not until 4. I will schedule today.
I also did not ask to see any pictures, she was sure that the hair on my chest would cover any scars.

@macG congratulations! I can't wait to hear about how it goes for you. My appointment was at 4 that day so I think I was the last one haha.

@hobbsey, i never saw any of her work either but since she specializes in breast surgery overall I feel really confident in her capabilities when it comes to top surgery.

I'm still waiting to hear back from her scheduler since I had to send them copies of my letters again. hopefully sometime this week though.

Unfortunately, due to a surprise insurance issue related to my employer, my surgery has been postponed to August. Ugh.
Upside: I can start T now, finally.

Quote from: MacG on February 08, 2015, 12:04:24 PM
Unfortunately, due to a surprise insurance issue related to my employer, my surgery has been postponed to August. Ugh.
Upside: I can start T now, finally.

That sucks! At least you get some positive outcome out of it.

I just heard back from Dr. Hansen's scheduler today and was informed that she has a few people to schedule ahead of me so I should be getting a call soon to set a date. In the email she sent today she said that they're currently scheduling for April so crossing my fingers that I'll get an April or May date.

Oh good luck! That's exciting!
I ended up getting my first T shot on the day I'd had surgery originally scheduled. Yesterday.  It didn't hurt at all, and no lump or soreness. Annnnd my voice hasn't dropped, so I don't know if it's working ;)

Quote from: Adam_ on January 27, 2015, 09:27:12 PM
I have a consult with Dr. Hansen tomorrow and I'm really confident it will go well. I have insurance through Providence ...

Hi Adam! I also have Providence insurance and am just trying to figure out what to expect when dealing with top surgery costs. At one point (a while back, mind you) I heard that OHSU would accept Providence, but that we'd have to pay upfront and then be reimbursed. If you don't mind me asking, was that what you experienced? I'm seeing a lot of great feedback on the OHSU surgeons, but if we have to pay up front, it might be a long long time before I can move forward with things. Any info or advice after dealing with Providence yourself would be very much appreciated! :)

Quote from: 40winx on February 21, 2015, 11:11:26 PM
Hi Adam! I also have Providence insurance and am just trying to figure out what to expect when dealing with top surgery costs. At one point (a while back, mind you) I heard that OHSU would accept Providence, but that we'd have to pay upfront and then be reimbursed. If you don't mind me asking, was that what you experienced? I'm seeing a lot of great feedback on the OHSU surgeons, but if we have to pay up front, it might be a long long time before I can move forward with things. Any info or advice after dealing with Providence yourself would be very much appreciated! :)

This is the first I've heard about having to pay up front! When I went in for my consult, Dr. Hansen asked how i planned to pay for it and I told her that Providence had told me that it was covered under my plan and that I had a Flexible Spending Account to cover my out of pocket expenses and that was all that was said about it so I'm sure she would have mentioned it at that point if it still applied.

As far as Providence goes, they've been awesome with my entire transition. I was already about a year and a half on t when I got my policy with them and they haven't given me a single fight over anything being covered. If you haven't already, I would suggest calling them and seeing if you can talk with a nurse case manager about gender reassignment surgery. They has a guy named Sean help me through the process with it from start to finish. Everyone is at different points within their transition so it's nice to have someone who knows what they're talking about and knows exactly what order things need to be done in. They can help you get the ball rolling.

I'm not sure if all Providence plans pay for this, I just know mine is for sure because I'm a state employee. But under Oregon State law I think they're legally forced to pay for it so just give them a call and see if it's even covered and if it's not on your plan, what you have to do to get it covered. Like I said before they've been awesome throughout this whole process, even calling me by my preferred name and pronouns. If you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message!

Quote from: MacG on February 19, 2015, 12:21:03 AM
Oh good luck! That's exciting!
I ended up getting my first T shot on the day I'd had surgery originally scheduled. Yesterday.  It didn't hurt at all, and no lump or soreness. Annnnd my voice hasn't dropped, so I don't know if it's working ;)

Haha, good for you man!

Quote from: ridleysw on January 28, 2015, 01:45:06 PM
Adam: Did Providence require you to meet the 1-year-on-T requirement before you could schedule your consult?  I am working with a case manager, as well, and there's some confusion on whether I can schedule my consult now, or if I have to wait for the consult until I've met my 1-year-on-T birthday (in September).

And in general, I am excited to hear your update about how the consult went!!

Ridley,

I'm still learning how to use the forum and accidentally deleted your message and can't figure out how to send you a message so send me at an email at adamshill92@gmail.com!

Quote from: Adam_ on February 23, 2015, 01:56:33 PM
This is the first I've heard about having to pay up front! When I went in for my consult, Dr. Hansen asked how i planned to pay for it and I told her that Providence had told me that it was covered under my plan and that I had a Flexible Spending Account to cover my out of pocket expenses and that was all that was said about it so I'm sure she would have mentioned it at that point if it still applied.

As far as Providence goes, they've been awesome with my entire transition. I was already about a year and a half on t when I got my policy with them and they haven't given me a single fight over anything being covered. If you haven't already, I would suggest calling them and seeing if you can talk with a nurse case manager about gender reassignment surgery. They has a guy named Sean help me through the process with it from start to finish. Everyone is at different points within their transition so it's nice to have someone who knows what they're talking about and knows exactly what order things need to be done in. They can help you get the ball rolling.

I'm not sure if all Providence plans pay for this, I just know mine is for sure because I'm a state employee. But under Oregon State law I think they're legally forced to pay for it so just give them a call and see if it's even covered and if it's not on your plan, what you have to do to get it covered. Like I said before they've been awesome throughout this whole process, even calling me by my preferred name and pronouns. If you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message!

Oh wow that is so great to hear! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for all the advice! Insurance stuff can just be so daunting sometimes :P I think I must have gotten bad info before to make me think we had to pay upfront. I will definitely be giving Providence a call to talk about the process, and I already feel much less intimidated after hearing your story. Best of luck with everything! I'd love to hear updates!

So, I finally got my consult scheduled with Dr. Hansen. I have a question for y'all though, does anyone know a general ball park of what she charges for DI? My paperwork I got indicates that I need to bring my copay/deductible balance/coinsurance to the consult and I need to figure out how much it'll be since my insurance goes by percentages.

I don't know. But congrats on getting started!

Hey guys. It would be awesome if people can continue to post updates about their experiences with Dr. Hansen. I am especially curious about the cost for DI. Thanks!

I've got DI with Dr. Hansen April 28.
I'm not private pay though.

I'm scheduled with Dr. Hansen for May 22nd! I'm not sure what the costs are either since insurance is paying for it but if I find out I'll post and let you guys know.

And congrats MacG! You'll have to let us know how it went :)

Awesome news! Congrats guys. June feels so far away for my consult...

June will be here soon... I agree it's hard to wait.

The wait was almost excruciating because you're that much closer but it's still so far away. I guess it's a good thing though, that she is booked so far out and is in such high demand, she must really know what she's doing.

Wow, I'm surprised to see so many going to see this doctor. I've only found out about her a few months ago, but have been having hell working with my insurance (providence, lol) to get stuff set up.

Now just waiting on my doctor to fax the information to Dr. Hansen so I can set up a consultation, but it sounds like there won't be openings for almost 2 months.

I was told she does have pictures as examples of her work, but they don't show it openly. Has anybody here seen it at their consultation? Just curious what some opinions are.

Quote from: Jayvin on March 24, 2015, 04:26:25 PM

I was told she does have pictures as examples of her work, but they don't show it openly. Has anybody here seen it at their consultation? Just curious what some opinions are.

I can let you know after my consult but that's not until mid June. I did talk to someone who had their surgery with her and said the results were really good.

Someone I know had their top surgery (DI) with Dr. Hansen a couple months ago and was kind enough to show me the results and talk about their experience.  After hearing about the very positive experience and results, I have officially decided to go ahead with Dr. Hansen!  I have be on T for a year before I can have my consult, so it won't be until this fall (I started T on 9/24/14), but I will update here when that does happen.  I am excited to hear from others as the year progresses!

I had surgery with Dr. Hansen. I'm super pleased. As you can see, I'm a larger guy at about 200lbs. I also have extra skin from weighing over 300lbs.
At the time of surgery I was just two and a half months on T.
I am very happy with the result so far. The only thing I would possibly change is to request my nips be spaced farther apart. But I'm not sure. Things will likely look different after swelling goes down and I've been on T longer and have built up muscle.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi57.tinypic.com%2F23jmlaa.jpg&hash=a8010bce09d843eaefc666269edbd08a00b74491)

Looks like she did a great job, I'm glad to see there's a doctor within an hour of home that I can go to! What was the cost of surgery at her practice? Blue cross blue shield covers up to 80% for most things on the policy I have, so hopefully this may just turn out to be a huge stroke of luck!

Thanks! I'm very pleased with my healing and post-op care. Almost 3 weeks post-op now.

I'd hit my max out of pocket right before surgery (rough year!) so I won't be paying anything.
I did receive an estimate beforehand, which included staying one night in the hospital. I would have paid about $2,600. I'd have to look. But that's also accounting for my max out of pocket. My insurance covers at 80% and my surgeon and hospital were preferred providers. I really think, with insurance, taking a look at your max out of pocket amount for your insurance might reveal the answer.

Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated on my experience with Dr. Hansen.. life got away from me for a bit. I have surgery tomorrow, 5/22! With Providence, all I will have to pay out of pocket will be roughly $1,500 plus the cost of medications and what not, so I'm not sure what private pay would be. I got a notice from them basically saying if my insurance doesn't pick it up, I'm responsible, all that good stuff, and what they have listed as far as costs go are:

Practitioner Charge Estimate: $4,000
Facility Charge Estimate: $10,000
Inpatient/Daypatient Hospital Fee Estimate: $6,000.

I'm not sure if that's just what they charge for insurance companies or how all that works so I don't know if that's even helpful at all? Anyway, I live in the Eugene area and I have quite a few friends that are students at U of O (where I work as well) and with their student insurance (which I believe is Aetna but don't quote me on that) they're all going to see Dr. Hansen as well. One guy had a consult yesterday and he told me they actually suggested a new surgeon at OHSU who has worked with Dr. Hansen because she's becoming so popular in this area.

Wish me luck! I'll be sure to post pictures post op!

Definitely wishing you luck! Dr. Hansen is fantastic.

Any updates, Adam? :)

Hey guys! Sorry its been so long. I'm 24 days post op now. I have about a week left until I start back at work and another post op appointment on Thursday the 25th of this month. Things have been healing really well. My incisions and nipples look fantastic and I could not be happier with my results. Dr. Hansen and her staff are amazing. I've never had such a positive experience with hospital staff, not to mention, Dr. Hansen's bedside manner is phenomenal.

My surgery went really well. Afterwards I had a lot of pain and nausea so I was actually there a lot longer than typical. The first 5 days were pretty rough with the drains and ace bandage. I heard some pretty bad horror stories about the drains and how uncomfortable they are both to have in and have removed. But Dr. Hansen uses a specific kind of drain that I barely felt coming out so that was a relief. Other than that, I haven't had any issues. It's been an awesome experience from start to finish.

I've taken some photos with an actual camera to make sure I could post as high quality pictures as possible. The first photo is obviously pre-op, second one is 8 days post op and the last one is from tonight, 24 days post op. My nipples are healing fast but I still have a lot of sensitivity and discomfort. It's getting there though.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi61.tinypic.com%2F973zn6.png&hash=cf0c57dfd89bd9dcf7f88a322a09198658c7a451)

Hello,

It sounds like most people on this thread already have a lot of information, but in case it helps, I wanted to share new info that OHSU was handing out at trans pride this past weekend.

As stated previously, yes, OHP is starting to cover trans procedures this year.

What's more, OHSU seems to be committed to having an excellent transgender care program. Here is a quote and contact info from the flyer they were handing out. I can't post pics yet, so sorry for the long text:

"OHSU's current transgender services include pubertal suppressants, HRT, FTM Top, BA, orchiectomy, hysterectomy/oophorectomy.
Services will be expanded in 2016 to include FFS, metiodioplasty, vaginoplasty, vulvoplasty/labiaplasty, phaloplasty, and penectomy."

Www.ohsu.edu/transhealth#
contact program coordinator at
transhealth@ohsu.edu
503-494-7970

I hope this can be of help to someone.

Congrats, Adam!  Looking fantastic!  And thank you for sharing your experiences - I am so glad we are finally getting some details "on the books" about Dr. Hansen.  I will definitely add my experiences when I have my consult and surgery this winter!

And thanks, orangeskipper.  Fantastic information to have.  It is really exciting that such a big, prominent hospital is starting to develop these resources/programs for us.

Thank you so much to both of y'all for providing pictures. Everything looks amazing -- and having some photos has been a godsend.

My T doctor at Legacy Good Samaritan Clinic in Portland just referred me to another doctor that accepts insurance for top surgery and works at Legacy Emmanuel in Portland. Just a heads up for anyone that was interested in more options! She's apparently fantastic but I can't speak on that without seeing a portfolio of some kind. That being said, did Dr. Hansen have a portfolio of before and afters for you guys to look at during the consult?

I didn't ask! I had so many other questions. Dr. Hansen was my best option for many other reasons. I'd seen a few results and liked what I saw.

Can Confirm that Dr. Hansen at OHSU does an excellent job.

My top surgery was June 8th, and now I'm 1 month post-op and everything is healing fine and looking pretty good. I'm too shy to post pics, so will describe my experience/results with you guys looking for a local doctor for surgery.

My nipples are placed wide enough, a good male position and appearance. I had to get the double incision because I am a larger fellow, but so far my scars are really not bad at all. I still have some of the glue/dark stitches have not all come off yet, places where it has come off, my scar looks very small and light pink, aka healing very well.

When my drains were removed after about 10 days, I did notice I had some swelling like under my arms/my back, was a little worried I'd have terrible "dog ears" but the swelling has gone down a lot and most of that skin that seemed kinda loose/puffy has retracted and I'm very happy about that.

All in all, after only 1 month of healing, my chest is looking very good. I have no real complaints and have confidence it will continue to improve after more time has passed.

The billing department said they usually take 30 days for the bill to come, I'm still waiting for mine. I received noticed that they are a little backed up and that there was a delay in processing. But, when it does arrive my bill should be around $2,650.00, that was their estimate, as my insurance is supposed to pick up 70% of the bill.

(The surgery staff are great, good bedside manner, as I was very much afraid, this being my first surgery, they took really good care of me.)

My only advice I would give is to try and not use your arms much after surgery, and try to sleep on your back, it sucks but I think it makes a big difference in the healing process to give yourself plenty of rest and for your body to heal.

Hope that helps anyone looking for / needing surgery.

Hey everyone, I had my surgery with Dr Hansen in April.
I do not have any before pictures to show and all my other pictures need to be cropped. I will get a current picture up soon.
Dr. Hansen is a wonderful human being, very kind. I was very cofident in her skills. I feel she did a great job. I did have to have the surgery at the main hospital because I have apnea. The staff there was wonderful.
I live in Seattle so I had to stay in Oregon overnight. I had the drains in for 6 days with very little drainage. My recovery was very smooth after the drains came out. My nipples healed well.
My insurance covered the surgery and I could not give accurate figures for someone who didn't have sleep apnea and my exact situation.
I highly recommend OSHU and Dr. Hansen.
I would be glad to answer any questions you have.
I will post a picture when I figure out how

Quote from: Adam_ on February 23, 2015, 01:56:33 PM
This is the first I've heard about having to pay up front! When I went in for my consult, Dr. Hansen asked how i planned to pay for it and I told her that Providence had told me that it was covered under my plan and that I had a Flexible Spending Account to cover my out of pocket expenses and that was all that was said about it so I'm sure she would have mentioned it at that point if it still applied.

As far as Providence goes, they've been awesome with my entire transition. I was already about a year and a half on t when I got my policy with them and they haven't given me a single fight over anything being covered. If you haven't already, I would suggest calling them and seeing if you can talk with a nurse case manager about gender reassignment surgery. They has a guy named Sean help me through the process with it from start to finish. Everyone is at different points within their transition so it's nice to have someone who knows what they're talking about and knows exactly what order things need to be done in. They can help you get the ball rolling.

I'm not sure if all Providence plans pay for this, I just know mine is for sure because I'm a state employee. But under Oregon State law I think they're legally forced to pay for it so just give them a call and see if it's even covered and if it's not on your plan, what you have to do to get it covered. Like I said before they've been awesome throughout this whole process, even calling me by my preferred name and pronouns. If you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message!

Hey again Adam_!

I am officially moving forward and have a consult with Dr. Hansen, but not for a few months. Do you mind if I toss a few Providence questions your way? We have the Open plan. They talk about how their coverage is for 20% of what's "Customary and Reasonable" but when I called, Providence won't tell me what they consider "Customary and Reasonable" to be in this case. Did you have anything come up with that in dealing with them? I am guessing Dr Hansen's fee is in that realm or it might have come up in the thread beforehand, but I am terrified of finding myself with an extra couple thousand dollars on my bill because of it. :P

Thanks so much for any advice! I hope things are still going awesome with you! :)

Quote from: 40winx on August 11, 2015, 02:01:55 PM
Hey again Adam_!

I am officially moving forward and have a consult with Dr. Hansen, but not for a few months. Do you mind if I toss a few Providence questions your way? We have the Open plan. They talk about how their coverage is for 20% of what's "Customary and Reasonable" but when I called, Providence won't tell me what they consider "Customary and Reasonable" to be in this case. Did you have anything come up with that in dealing with them? I am guessing Dr Hansen's fee is in that realm or it might have come up in the thread beforehand, but I am terrified of finding myself with an extra couple thousand dollars on my bill because of it. :P

Thanks so much for any advice! I hope things are still going awesome with you! :)

I never really had any conversations about prices with Providence. When I called they told me it was a covered procedure and that my only cost would be my $1,500 out of pocket maximum, which I paid the day of surgery to OHSU. I recently got a bill from the anesthesia department for over $16,000, though and Providence still has not paid on it whatsoever even though the rest was paid in May so I guess I'll have to make some phone calls and get to the bottom of that. But they never really gave me a number since it was a totally covered procedure with my plan. Sorry I can't be of more help with your situation!

I know it's been almost a year since this post has been active, but I'm gonna ask a question anyway...

For those of you who have had surgery with Dr. Hansen, how long did you have to wait til you found out your surgery date after the consultation? My consultation was 2 months ago. The last update I got was a little over 3 weeks ago regarding my insurance. Scheduling a surgery date is the next step, but I'm still waiting to hear back. Just wondering if it normally takes this long.

EN_PDX: I had surgery with Dr. Hansen on February 4th (2016).  My consultation was October 28th, 2015.  My insurance (Providence) gave their pre-authorization clearance in mid-November, but I didn't get my surgery date until January 11th. 

She started getting a lot of publicity (both getting known in our community as well as OHSU developing an outreach and marketing program for the transgender-related health care services they are investing in), so her wait times went from a couple months to (the most recent approximation given to someone waiting for their surgery date) now 6-8 months out after the consultation.  After the insurance approval is solidified, you are added to the queue of people waiting for their surgery date.  OHSU's operating room schedule is only posted once a month, generally about a month ahead... I was one of the last people they squeezed into the February schedule, which is why there were only a couple weeks between getting scheduled and the actual date.  But scheduling time aside, I am SO happy with Dr. Hansen - both her surgical work and her amazing patient care/bedside manner.  She's a remarkable human and surgeon!

FOR PROVIDENCE FOLKS: I am extremely, extremely fortunate because it ended up being much less expensive than originally expected.  I was expecting to pay the $3000 out-of-pocket maximum (this quote was given by both OHSU and Providence), but because of how everything was coded in the end, I only paid ~$200 (I had already met my $250 deductible for the year).  This is not par for the course, but it was a huge gift from the Universe for me.  Hansen's office charges insurance before ever sending a bill, so other than my usual visit co-pay for the consultation and pre-op appointment, the final bill wasn't given to me until almost two months after the surgery (because it took that long for insurance to pay them and for them to finalize the bill for me).

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about Dr. Hansen and/or Providence coverage.  I'm happy to share my experiences.

Ridleysw, thanks for all the helpful information!

I feel a little better knowing the wait is normal. However, I need way more time than just 3 weeks to ask for an entire month off from work (I do lots of lifting at my job so I won't be able to return any time soon)...I've been told several times that my date will probably be closer to August. Hopefully I'll hear something at the beginning of July.

Thanks agains!

Quote from: EN_PDX on June 08, 2016, 07:18:54 PM
Ridleysw, thanks for all the helpful information!

I feel a little better knowing the wait is normal. However, I need way more time than just 3 weeks to ask for an entire month off from work (I do lots of lifting at my job so I won't be able to return any time soon)...I've been told several times that my date will probably be closer to August. Hopefully I'll hear something at the beginning of July.

Thanks agains!

You could casually mention it to your boss now and say you don't have the dates yet but to just let them know it is coming up.

Quote from: EN_PDX on June 07, 2016, 09:35:01 AM
I know it's been almost a year since this post has been active, but I'm gonna ask a question anyway...

For those of you who have had surgery with Dr. Hansen, how long did you have to wait til you found out your surgery date after the consultation? My consultation was 2 months ago. The last update I got was a little over 3 weeks ago regarding my insurance. Scheduling a surgery date is the next step, but I'm still waiting to hear back. Just wondering if it normally takes this long.

EN_PDX,

Welcome to the site. I hope you find what you are looking for.

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