Second appointment today. It went well. The nurse told me I had passed the gate keeper's claws and was accepted for further assessement. I will se a psychologist next time, in less than a month. This is a fast pace. I've heared it takes for ever to see the docs and psychologists. I have not experienced that.
A nice bonus is that they call me by my preferred name.
Tony
Congratulations!
Gatekeepers is a term which generally seems to be used by people who don't think they should have to follow the same process everyone else does. IMO
Quote from: Devlyn on October 11, 2018, 08:56:17 AM
Congratulations!
Gatekeepers is a term which generally seems to be used by people who don't think they should have to follow the same process everyone else does. IMO
True, I guess, if you assume that the process is reasonable to begin with. It's acceptable to complain about outdated or non-logical procedures that certain "caregivers" follow dogmatically and unquestionably. IMO! [emoji846]
Stephanie
I wanted my burger now, but the darn gatekeeper made me wait in line behind the other cars
at the drive-through window. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Quote from: Devlyn on October 11, 2018, 10:10:15 AM
I wanted my burger now, but the darn gatekeeper made me wait in line behind the other cars at the drive-through window. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Oh, I get it, believe me. People do tend to throw around the "gatekeeper" term indiscriminately. But there's a difference between waiting your turn in line versus, "sorry we can't give you your burgers until you come back in a red car." Yes, they may not serve anyone in a red car, but where's the logic in it?
Maybe it would be helpful to work together to actually define what "gatekeeping" means. I suggest it means "An entity that sets limits and requirements that appear to be arbitrary and non-logical, and prevents meaningful progress toward a person's goals."
Case in point: I have no choice in what insurance is available to me. Others are getting GCS with letters from their doctors after 12 months of therapy. My insurance requires 18 months. They say they're following the WPATH guidelines, but here is specifically what the WPATH v7 SOC says:
QuoteAlthough not an explicit criterion, it is recommended that these patients also have regular visits with a mental health or other medical professional.
The 18 months is arbitrary, picked by someone - likely a lawyer - at the insurance company. I'd switch companies, but here in Florida it's BCBS or nobody. What's more, BCBS will actually cover FFS, hair removal, BA, and all kinds of other things in other states, while Florida Blue considers them cosmetic and doesn't cover them.
I don't know whether that meets your definition of "gatekeeping," but it kinda feels like it to me.
Stephanie
Oh, and sorry, Tony, for derailing your thread...
Stephanie
The gatekeeper term is almost universally thrown at the healthcare professionals, but all they're doing is making sure they're going to get paid. Lost in the noise is that most of the lead-in procedures like a year of hormones and genital hair removal take longer than the insurance requirements.
Quote from: Devlyn on October 11, 2018, 11:00:19 AM
The gatekeeper term is almost universally thrown at the healthcare professionals, but all they're doing is making sure they're going to get paid. Lost in the noise is that most of the lead-in procedures like a year of hormones and genital hair removal take longer than the insurance requirements.
Yes, it's easy to take it out in the doctors when frustration gets to be too much, and I agree that in many cases their hands are tied if they want to bill the insurance company. In my case, I apply the term to the insurance company. I don't agree with their arbitrary restrictions, but have no choice but to abide by them unless I want to strike out in my own.
What can I say? Grumbling is good for the soul. [emoji16]
Stephanie
Quote from: Steph2.0 on October 11, 2018, 10:58:00 AM
Oh, and sorry, Tony, for derailing your thread...
Stephanie
Haha. It's ok.
The gatekeeper in this case is a psychiatrist who decides if you get to go through the program or you go home with a broken heart and without treatment.
Tony