Changing Gender Marker with Social Security Administration

[allisonsteph]

My name and gender change was approved by a court in California this week. Yesterday I went to the Social Security Office to update my records. I had no problem whatsoever updating my name, but they would not update the gender marker, stating that the documentation I had (the court order) was not adequate. I showed the clerk a photocopy of the letter from my doctor that stated I had undergone "clinically appropriate treatment to transition to the female gender", and she said that the text of the letter was not adequate either. It was adequate for a court of law to declare me a female, but apparently not enough to satisfy the SSA.

Has anyone else experienced this? How were you able to get it resolved?

[mrs izzy]

SSA

Exhibit – Sample Letter from Licensed Physician Certifying to the Individual's Gender Change

(Physician's Address and Telephone Number)

I, (physician's full name), (physician's medical license or certificate number), (issuing U.S. State/Foreign Country of medical license/certificate), am the physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whom I have treated (or with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whose medical history I have reviewed and evaluated).

(Name of patient) has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (specify new gender, male or female).

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct.

Signature of Physician

Typed Name of Physician

Date

Here is the site of the SSA on gender change for transgenders. https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212200

Isabell

[Chaos]

IF both documentations match up then I would accept discrimination in your case.if this IS the case then go back to SSA and speak to an administrator and get the records straight.do not deal with anyone that you do not have too.if they do not match they you will need to go back and have the paper redone.good luck

[Arch]

I had no problems a few years ago (2009), but I figured that if I ran into trouble at one SSA office, I would try another, perhaps after trying again on another day.

Nowadays, I would ask point blank to speak to the clerk's supervisor.

With that said, make sure that your letter looks exactly like their form letter (it would be nice to have that typo fixed; the word should be "foregoing," not "forgoing"). If any key information is missing, such as the doctor's medical license number, then you can be refused. If your letter is appropriate, then kick some ass.

[allisonsteph]

My letter is worded very similarly to the one above except it does not contain the am the physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whom I have treated (or with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whose medical history I have reviewed and evaluated). phrasing.

The clerk I dealt with mumbled something about gender reassignment not being complete. I am wondering if she was hung up on the "has undergone clinically appropriate treatment to transition to the female gender" segment. I'm seriously starting to think that she was interpreting "transition" as "transitional".

I will try back another day and see if I get different results.

[mrs izzy]

My letter is worded very similarly to the one above except it does not contain the am the physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whom I have treated (or with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whose medical history I have reviewed and evaluated). phrasing.

The clerk I dealt with mumbled something about gender reassignment not being complete. I am wondering if she was hung up on the "has undergone clinically appropriate treatment to transition to the female gender" segment. I'm seriously starting to think that she was interpreting "transition" as "transitional".

I will try back another day and see if I get different results.

That is from the SSA site (https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212200) on how they want it worded. But you do not need any of that if you have a valid 10 Year passport.

If you are going to use the letter i would have your doctor just make the changes as per there requirments. You have to remember most are just employees and they do not want to make a judgement call and many supervisors will try to make you get more then what is needed  sometimes. I would also print this page out and bring with you to show them, you are most likely the only transgender they have had to deal with and might be there last. We are so far and few between.

Isabell

[Arch]

I had my doctor EXACTLY follow the letter on the SSA site except that I fixed the typo on my sample for him to follow. I also took along a printout from the SSA web page, as MIQN suggests. It's pretty hard for them to refuse when they are confronted with official guidelines from their own site.

But as I said, I didn't have any trouble. My clerk did disappear for a little while, I think to check with a supervisor. That was it.

[LordKAT]

I had to tell them that the SSA site told me what I needed and brought to them. They said they had to check because they thought otherwise. I got a phone call in short order that I was correct. You may just have to be a little pushy and talk to the next higher up.

[allisonsteph]

Thank you for your advice everyone. I had the doctor who is managing my HRT write a letter in the format required by the SSA. He relayed a story to me about having difficulty with financial aid in college because of incorrect information on file with the Social Security Administration.  So he understood completely and was happy to oblige. So sometime next week I'll make another visit to the Social Security office.

[Arch]

Good luck, and keep us posted. Give 'em hell--politely--if they give you any guff.

[Shana-chan]

@Allison: So, how did it go?

[Arch]

I'm curious, too, Allison, especially since I've just read a few of your more recent posts detailing your issues with meds and your partner. Are you feeling better?

[suzifrommd]

There is a very specific format that SSA needs. It is on their website, but idiotically not on the same page as it gives the procedure for changing the gender marker, giving people like you and me the impression that it's much easier than it is.

They were patronizing and condescending to me when I went, but they were also clueless as to the exact procedure. They asked me all sorts of irrelevant questions before they finally stumbled on the proper web page.

In the end, I decided to wait until after my surgery.

The process is written up on Susan's wiki here: https://www.susans.org/wiki/Changing_Social_Security_records

[allisonsteph]

@Allison: So, how did it go?

With the general chaos that has taken over my life I have not gone yet. I have the letter from my doctor in the preferred format that SSA wants, but I just haven't had the time or the heart to spend 4-5 hours at the Social Security office arguing with someone who doesn't understand even a shred of customer service. I need to go soon, I am starting to have issues because of "no match" flags. I give an update when I do go.

[Heather]

With the general chaos that has taken over my life I have not gone yet. I have the letter from my doctor in the preferred format that SSA wants, but I just haven't had the time or the heart to spend 4-5 hours at the Social Security office arguing with someone who doesn't understand even a shred of customer service. I need to go soon, I am starting to have issues because of "no match" flags. I give an update when I do go.

Why do you think you'll have trouble? I had no trouble changing it with the letter the lady was quite nice to me too. I think a lot of the horror stories you hear out of the trans community are far over exaggerated. 

[allisonsteph]

Why do you think you'll have trouble? I had no trouble changing it with the letter the lady was quite nice to me too. I think a lot of the horror stories you hear out of the trans community are far over exaggerated.

I don't think it will be an problem because of "trans" issues, I'm just expecting it to be a problem because I've never had a good experience with any customer facing federal government employee. I spent over 1/3 of my life working for one of the finest customer service organizations in the United States and have very little tolerance for on the job incompetence or poor customer service.

[allisonsteph]

I'm curious, too, Allison, especially since I've just read a few of your more recent posts detailing your issues with meds and your partner. Are you feeling better?

Thank you for asking Arch. Things are well, going. I will give a more thorough update a bit latter on today.

[Arch]

I am glad to hear it, Allison. I mean, "going" is better than the alternative.

Sometimes I lose track of people for a little while and then happen upon a few posts about horrible challenges that I had no idea about. It's rather mortifying.

Can you make an appointment at the SSA office? I had a reasonable wait time when I made an appointment.