Cassie, not only am I on Kaiser, but work for them as a medical courier, dealing mostly with medical records and lab specimens.
I can tell you how it works in this regional at least, the Sacromento/Bay Area. I picked my personal physician and have never seen another one except when she has been off for vacation etc. I choose one that is on the complex I work at so I can pop in on her whenever I wish to ask about anything that concerns me and if it's something that really needs attention, she schedules me an appointment for before I start work. my psychologist was assigned to me and my psychiatrist was by referral from the psychologist, and I have recently been referred to another psychiatrist in my local area to help with other problems.
I never went through any problems with HRT/Perscriptions at all. A diagnosis was made, scripts were written and that was the end of that. As far as covering SRS, that hasn't been annouced yet, but it looks like a good bet soon. One of the major administrative Doctors in the Bay Area came out some months ago and started RLT on the job so such things have been pushed to the forfront. I also know that my personal doc went on what I had thought was a vacation to thailand, but later she told me it was on Kaiser Business but gave no details about that.
A couple of months ago I was almost pulled from HRT because my doctor was becoming concerned about the health risk and in talking to me about it I got a little emotionally flooded and she asked me about problems if I were pulled. We talked about it and in the process I mentioned financial problems and it taking me longer then I was comfortable to achieve SRS and she asked me if all I was worried about was SRS, like it was no concern, but then she changed the subject. I had a simular conversation over the phone with my Bay Area psychiatrist and she had a simular reaction to SRS. It kind of looks like the idea is under heavy consideration and a possibility that it may be provided through a surgeon in Thailand, leaving only to expenses to go there, or KP surgeons are being trained over there. I don't know, there had been nothing said officially as of yet, but there seems to be a lot of talk about it on the streets, especially in the Bay Area.
I do know things have been lightening up in that respect though, previously there was no problem at all with therapy, or HRT, but they would not pay for any related surgeries, then earlier in the year, they paid for an Orchiectomy for me for the pure purpose of eliminating testosterone in my body to allow me to get off Spiro and take low dose estrogen thus contenuing HRT. Previously, they would only approve Orchiectomy as a medical neccessity, as in for testcular cancer and such.
Consider too that in the hospital rating systems by independant sources, or regional has consistantly been rated #1 for several years now in terms of customer care and satisfaction, and even without SRS, all other costs other costs other then electro is covered, no questions asked. As an employee, I am even entitled to a near 50% cut in price for any cosmetic or plastic surgeries. I can get laser eye surgery for about $650 per eye and if I wanted it, Laser for beard at half cost, but I contacted them before deciding on Electrolysis, which they don't offer and was told that it was not a permenant option and that it would not be very effective with my mostly white beard on my skin coloring, so I went outside kaiser for electro at full price. But the point is, I could get any optional Plastic surgery for half or less the actual rate.
Personally, I would recommend Kaiser to anyone looking for insurance to help cover costs. Before coming to california and going to work for kaiser I had spent a year back in nevada searching for a place to relocate and an adiquate job and insurance there with the help of a vast network of friends and it was a friend who suggested Kaiser for work even though at the time they had no Transsexual program or guidelines, but did have a great non discrimination policy, so I moved to sac on his advice and went to work for kaiser. now, some years later, I am confident I made the right decision as they have been wonderful to me and passed a gender specific policy before California passed such legislation at the beginning of 2004.
Even without SRS as of yet, I can't imagine a better health provider from my own personal experience and it is true that all indicators are that SRS will soon be provided, though it isn't clear yet if it will be by KP surgeons here, or in Thailand, in which case you would still be responsible for your own expenses to go there. I'm betting on that option as it would make business sence to reduce the traffic to only the most serious of so called Transsexuals.
Terri
