Feel free to move this mods if it works better elsewhere.
I was very interested in coming out to my doctor, and I started the process of trying to find health insurance today. I am self medicating, and feeling I am not doing so well as setting my dosages, since my body was built atypical and I probably had high natural estrogen to begin with.
I fall into that lost forgotten category with health insurance. Too few employees at my work to need employer to provide coverage. I make decent money, but just September I came back from south America with 6 cents in my pocket from our project losing financing, and student loans, and just a lot of debt. So even though I make good money, I still am living paycheck to paycheck. The system doesn't differentiate between making 45,000 a year after a lifetime of making less than 5000 a year from someone who has consistently grossed over 30,000 for several years I guess. My teeth need work, my kidneys are shot, and im too far into my transition to simply stop.
So has anyone else found themselves in this category? I am spending about 250$ a month on meds all around (not just transgender stuff) and about 80$ every two months to see a regular doc. I haven't had the bloodwork and liver tests, and fear I may have a kidney stone, possibly in both kidneys. On top of that, I am having an allergic reaction to the estrogen (itchy small hives.) I got bennedryl on-hand at all times in case it gets worse & am not afraid to go to the ER if things get really bad. I already plan on just coming clean to my doc, but I worry he may want testing done, and I am not sure if I can afford it, and I am also afraid to get into a situation where I get all the things sorted cheaply and get stuck with another bill that is more than the care I needed in the first place. I already slowed down on the spiro since I am not sure if the diuretic effect is what is causing the kidney issues or not. I have had similar reactions to other diuretics in the past.
Also does anyone else have an estrogen allergy? What did you end up doing to overcome it? I would like to know it is possible to continue under managed care. In South America medical care was super affordable. It's hard to come back to the USA and deal with this stuff.
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?
I don't need to be taught any lessons or made out to be foolish. My situation is my own, and I have different needs, limitations and experiences than anyone else. I need help.
Tabby... sorry to hear about your dire straits. Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm concerned for your well being. Tell your doctor today. Do not delay. Endocrinology is a complex beast, not to be trifled with. It's tricky enough even with a physician's supervision. I'm sorry I can't be of help with the insurance question, not something I have had to deal with myself, as I live in Canada. Regardless of cost, you need to sort this out soon.
Ya, thanks for your reply. It was written with concern and compassion.
I guess I am curious about the costs of seeing an endo as well, if someone else has paid out of pocket before, & I would like to get a good idea of just overall costs of things. It would be much appreciated. I know the prescriptions themselves would go down.
I wish the USA would have just emulated Canada on it's healthcare bill. I know it has downfalls sometimes, but it has to be much simpler than the chaotic nightmare of the new US system.
Alas, I have no knowledge of doctor fees in the US. I imagine they vary, depending where you live. I can't see the blood work as being prohibitively expensive, though. Your regular doc should be able to arrange that. As far as the health care here, yep, far from perfect, but it has served me well. I had an MI about 10 years ago. Spent a week in a cardiac unit, constant monitoring, all kinds of diagnostics, meds etc etc. Cost to me: $35 for the ride in the ambulance. I was seen by a doc at the emerg within 5 minutes of arriving at the hospital. On the other hand, I presented another time with a laceration (home repair accident) requiring stitches. 15 minutes wait, saw a triage nurse, waited four hours to see the doc. I was expecting the wait, I brought lunch and book with me. The system works well here if you have a basic understanding of first aid and can get your head around triage.
PM sent, please respond! :)
It won't let me respond. I may be too new or have to overcome so many responses.
I wrote out the medical history a bit better, but I don't want to post it here in public.
If someone can tell me how to get to where I am allowed to reply to messages, that would be great.
Quote from: Hermosa_Tabby on June 11, 2014, 11:16:12 AM
I wish the USA would have just emulated Canada on it's healthcare bill. I know it has downfalls sometimes, but it has to be much simpler than the chaotic nightmare of the new US system.
They just did in a way. Medicare will cover GCS if you get all the WPATH SOC letters. Medicaid, VA and insurance companies will have to fallow up. Things are so better the everyone thinks.
Here is a list of private insurance companies that cover. http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/finding-insurance-for-transgender-related-healthcare
Also at this moment many states have also told there insurance companies the must not discriminate anymore.
Hang in, its really a good time for some real health help.
Isabell
Sorry, my fault. You have to have 15 postings before you can PM. My bad! ::) Another blonde moment.
Yeah, I went to the ER last night just in case.
No kidney disease, my potassium level is normal, the reaction on my arms is from peli-multigemeni and is ingrown hairs (probably related to some hair changing to vellus is what I am thinking.) Liver creatine is normal.
Their diagnosis was lower back muscle spasm, which shocked me silent. I had no idea what to say, as my symptomology was exactly on par with my last stone.
There is also a slight chance I may have extra kidneys and suggested I get into urologist. The doc told me to raise my spiro back to 100mg a day, and to slow down on herbal supplements except my psylium and magnesium. Not just for TG issues, but also my systolic BP was on the higher side of normal (145/89)
The bill is going to be insurmountable with the ctscan and all that. Gotta love America with it's runaway health costs. I am sure the two 1$ to manufacture bags of iv saline will be 1200$, but it is good to know that whatever is going on is not those things. At least my credit was already bad to begin with.
Quote from: mind is quiet now on June 11, 2014, 06:29:48 PM
They just did in a way. Medicare will cover GCS if you get all the WPATH SOC letters. Medicaid, VA and insurance companies will have to fallow up. Things are so better the everyone thinks.
Here is a list of private insurance companies that cover. http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/finding-insurance-for-transgender-related-healthcare
Also at this moment many states have also told there insurance companies the must not discriminate anymore.
Hang in, its really a good time for some real health help.
Isabell
When I went to the website, it said I missed open enrollment. This is not universal healthcare at all. Universal healthcare would mean presenting maybe a social security card and ID and then just getting into an affordable doctor. It was insurance companies themselves & the US extreme litigation that raised the cost of care. I have been to other countries where getting a EEG costed 45 dollars. Even if you tack on a generous hourly wage onto that, it still shouldn't cost 4500$ like it does here. That was 45 dollars uninsured and paying cash.
There is no reason for things to be this expensive here except people think they can get away with it.