Had my first appointment at the gender clinic today, and it looks like I won't be getting T any time soon. The standard rule is: six consultations (one a month) first. Then a chance at a referral to an endocrinologist. Oh, and as a special added bonus, my insurance will (it seems) cover none of it.

Everything is looking pretty much like a big pile of ->-bleeped-<- at the moment.

Quote from: WorkingOnThomas on November 20, 2015, 12:53:52 PM
Had my first appointment at the gender clinic today, and it looks like I won't be getting T any time soon. The standard rule is: six consultations (one a month) first. Then a chance at a referral to an endocrinologist. Oh, and as a special added bonus, my insurance will (it seems) cover none of it.

Everything is looking pretty much like a big pile of ->-bleeped-<- at the moment.

There are endos in the us who do implants on ic.
And you could go private in london for example.

Aren't the insurances obliged to cover ?
If not, is it possible to get some extra plan or whatever to have it covered ?
Maybe an added private part...

Have you looked up internet boards of your country ? Its possible someone knows someone helpful, or a faster process...


hugs

Apparently, insurances here are not obliged to cover treatment for trans people. Which is rubbish. In any case, I can't afford treatment in the states, or in England for that matter. The only thing faster here, it seems, is self medicating. And my girlfriend would never tolerate that.

Having slept on it, I've decided to be patient. I'll find the money somehow, and while I'm not happy about the wait, the consultant did at least recommend getting a prescription that will stop my periods so that I feel a little better in the meantime. I'll just keep my head down and try to concentrate on my work. And remind myself that I won't be this way forever.

Thanks for being here, Laura. I appreciate it.

Thomas

Quote from: WorkingOnThomas on November 21, 2015, 12:17:35 PM

Thanks for being here, Laura. I appreciate it.

Thomas

You're welcome 

Yes... time will probably pass quickly...


hugs

It seriously makes me angry how it feels as if trans folk with a lower income get the short end of the stick.  I don't know anything about England, but here in America if you have the cash then you can pretty much get T as quickly as you please.  Toss a little cash and in a blink you can find a therapist who will write you a letter, a doctor who will write you a prescription, etc and in two weeks you're good to go (at least in the city where I live--Dallas does have the 6th largest LGBT population in the USA, so it may be easier here than other places since we have lots of LGBT friendly counselors and doctors).  But if you don't have the money, you are stuck waiting seven months for the gender clinic to have a free spot to see you.    Definitely not fair for those people who have less of an income.

Quote from: FtMitch on November 28, 2015, 12:23:02 PMBut if you don't have the money, you are stuck waiting seven months for the gender clinic to have a free spot to see you.    Definitely not fair for those people who have less of an income.

Waiting times in the U.S. obviously vary considerably. The last time I checked, the low-income informed-consent clinic in my area was getting people an appointment in a month or a bit more--maybe six weeks, tops. When I was going there a few years ago, I waited only about a month.

Quote from: WorkingOnThomas on November 20, 2015, 12:53:52 PM
Had my first appointment at the gender clinic today, and it looks like I won't be getting T any time soon. The standard rule is: six consultations (one a month) first. Then a chance at a referral to an endocrinologist. Oh, and as a special added bonus, my insurance will (it seems) cover none of it.

Everything is looking pretty much like a big pile of ->-bleeped-<- at the moment.

I can help you a bit with coming up with some facts that may make you feel a bit better. I'm Norwegian and in our country we have a bad system. You can get free treatment in Norway, but have to wait looong time. 80% doesn't get any treatment, because they aren't trans enough according to Norway. They are very strict. In Norway you have to go to a gender specialist in 2 years talking and do much stuffs. You have to traveling to the capital to do it. Because the country hasn't any specialists other places. A Norwegian treatment may take from 5 to 7 years. 6 months is piece of cakes compared to 2 years waiting. In some cases people have to wait in 3 years. Norway sees transgenders as mental ill. They broke the rules of Standard health care version 7 and got much critic by International Amnesty as well for many reasons. In Norway we have a "One size fit all" system. If a person don't want all the treatment, he or she would get a punishment. He or she would get refused to change his/her sex/gender in the passport. That make more everyday trouble for the person.

Yeah, I think that over all, I prefer how things are here in Belgium. I'll have to pay, but not as much as I would elsewhere, and I have to wait, but again, not as much as elsewhere.

Thomas

Quote from: Arch on November 28, 2015, 12:58:18 PM
Waiting times in the U.S. obviously vary considerably. The last time I checked, the low-income informed-consent clinic in my area was getting people an appointment in a month or a bit more--maybe six weeks, tops. When I was going there a few years ago, I waited only about a month.

Yeah, I know Dallas has a high trans population for its one, twice a month informed consent clinic, which is why it takes so long to get in.  I just feel so bad for the people in my support group who have waited and waited while I was able to get the treatment I needed ASAP. 

Man, I am suddenly glad I don't live in Norway!  Sorry about that my friend.

I have found that among the *more* reasonable systems--and I include the systems in the U.S. and England, despite their extreme differences--there are always advantages and disadvantages. I figure that they come close to balancing each other out. The Norwegian system does not seem reasonable to me. More disadvantages than advantages. Not sure about Belgium's...

Quote from: FtMitch on November 29, 2015, 05:31:14 PM
Yeah, I know Dallas has a high trans population for its one, twice a month informed consent clinic, which is why it takes so long to get in.  I just feel so bad for the people in my support group who have waited and waited while I was able to get the treatment I needed ASAP. 

Man, I am suddenly glad I don't live in Norway!  Sorry about that my friend.

Thanks, mate. But Norway isn't only stupid. If we look away from how they treat transgenders, rest of the country is very good. Homosexuals have all their rights, something they hasn't all the places in the world. It's also welfare state. Old, sick and people without work get a bit money from the government too. So Norway has some good and some bad sides.

That is unfortunate but I can relate to struggling with roadblocks. I was without health insurance for a long time since my parents dropped me off their plan while I was in college. Since I was in school full time, my part time work didn't make nearly enough to cover that kind of cost. I ended up waiting five years before I started hormones. I was lucky enough to find an LGBT center that advocates for transgender folk and will work with you whether you have insurance or no.