My hysto surgeon has followed my case for years and works at my research hospital. I am the only trans patient she has had in her thirty something year career. She needs my help drafting letters I need for my gender marker change and the referral letter for my top surgery. I was able to find a draft on a transgender law website that we're going to use for the letter to change my marker so that one is sorted out.

I can't find anything about what is recommended for a letter referring someone for top surgery. I need some ideas or someone to point me in the right direction with this. If you have a letter for top surgery and wouldn't mind sharing with me what it says I would appreciate it. If you don't feel comfortable putting it here publicly feel free to private message me.

Also, I know my marker change letter had to be notarized. Does my referral letter need to be too?

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help I can get doing this correctly.

Out of curiosity, is the referral letter to the surgeon, or is this a letter for an insurance company? You may want to ask them directly what the requirements are....I am sure some people require different things.

My letter was from a therapist to be sent to my bottom surgeon, not top, but I guess the same rules may apply. The letter started out with my therapist giving an introduction of himself (his title/qualifications, his years of experience, etc) and then went into how long I have been a patient of his. He stated that I have gender identity disorder and then listed examples but basically stuck to the medically standard lines...patient experiences a disconnect between his biological gender and the gender he sees himself, patient has been successfully living as a male for the past 2 years, patient is fully aware of the risks of undergoing gender reassignment surgery, and from what I am told, one of the most important lines is that "it is medically necessary for the patient to undergo surgery as part of their treatment plan."...or something to the effect of the surgery being medically necessary....ESPECIALLY if it is a letter to be sent to insurance,

Quote from: JesseO on June 19, 2013, 04:53:12 PM
Out of curiosity, is the referral letter to the surgeon, or is this a letter for an insurance company?

It's going to be a referral letter to the surgeon so I am able to get it done. I'm going to end up paying this one out of pocket.

Thank you for sharing what your letter entailed. My hysto surgeon was also my gyno for over five years and she's excellent with everything but she's never dealt with doing this and she's constantly busy so she's left the research up to me.

I'm also assuming that it is ok if the letter is in general and not directed towards a certain surgeon? I'm about 75% positive of what surgeon I'm going to but I've yet to have my consultation with her so not ready to have her name on the letter.

A general referral letter with brief client history should be good for a surgery letter although some surgeons look for language to the effect of the therapist specifically recommending surgery as a medical intervention (for the client).

Bumping this in case anyone else has suggestions or doesn't mind sharing what their referral letter said. I'm typing up a draft tomorrow since my doc gets back from vacation on the 3rd. Any help with this is appreciated. Wish my doc would just figure it out herself but on the other hand it's nice that she lets me be involved, I guess.