Insurance Won’t Cover My Surgery

[Allie24]

So I just found out my policy doesn't cover SRS or any related surgeries... it's gonna cost me $6000 now.

Solutions?

[natalie.ashlyne]

six thousand that is it? some are doing for 24 thousand

[Devlyn]

Six for the orchi, I presume she meant. My out of pocket expenses with insurance came to six grand for an orchi. Welcome to the club.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Complete]

I am not sure l understand. Is this a co-pay? What procedures?

[natalie.ashlyne]

Six for the orchi, I presume she meant. My out of pocket expenses with insurance came to six grand for an orchi. Welcome to the club.

Hugs, Devlyn

Ok I am sorry make sense I was just confused.

[Allie24]

Orchiectomy is the procedure. Out of pocket cost is $6000

[Allie24]

I am not sure l understand. Is this a co-pay? What procedures?

Basically, my insurance will not cover full SRS, nor will it cover an orchiectomy if it is done for reasons relating to transsexualism.

I am currently awaiting an official quote from them, but the odds that they will cover the procedure is highly unlikely.

I have considered perhaps seeing if I could have a non-plastic surgeon do the surgery as a "cancer preventative." I will have to check if insurance covers such measures, however...

This whole situation is extremely frustrating. SRS is far too expensive and I know the orchiectomy will help with the waiting... there is so much underlying anxiety surrounding the dormant presence of testosterone, I can feel it eat away at me daily...

[OU812]

If you're a suitable age, are academically inclined, and can't get the money otherwise, you could apply to a university. Doesn't really matter if you're interested in the school or field of study at all. What you want is a university health plan that covers SRS. I'm hearing of quite a few student plans which do! This was decidedly *not* the case ~10 years ago, when basically *no* insurance covered SRS!

(Earlier this year, I spoke with a trans student who was being incredibly frou frou about her school's particular plan, and how "primitive" it was for including SRS but not covering stuff like BA and laser like her previous school's plan did. I sure wanted to box her on her ears lol!)

If you're a little more desperate, someone who isn't me may have once used pay stubs from multiple jobs to acquire a loan and skipped over to Thailand, where you could get full SRS for not a whole lot more than you're currently looking at paying for just an Orchi.

[Allie24]

If you're a suitable age, are academically inclined, and can't get the money otherwise, you could apply to a university. Doesn't really matter if you're interested in the school or field of study at all. What you want is a university health plan that covers SRS. I'm hearing of quite a few student plans which do! This was decidedly *not* the case ~10 years ago, when basically *no* insurance covered SRS!

(Earlier this year, I spoke with a trans student who was being incredibly frou frou about her school's particular plan, and how "primitive" it was for including SRS but not covering stuff like BA and laser like her previous school's plan did. I sure wanted to box her on her ears lol!)

If you're a little more desperate, someone who isn't me may have once used pay stubs from multiple jobs to acquire a loan and skipped over to Thailand, where you could get full SRS for not a whole lot more than you're currently looking at paying for just an Orchi.

I currently attend a school that provides Health Insurance only to international atudents.

Seeking a surgeon in Thailand scares me... I'm extremely nervous about leaving the country and would not know how to figure out the legitimacy of a surgeon there.

[Gertrude]

If you're a suitable age, are academically inclined, and can't get the money otherwise, you could apply to a university. Doesn't really matter if you're interested in the school or field of study at all. What you want is a university health plan that covers SRS. I'm hearing of quite a few student plans which do! This was decidedly *not* the case ~10 years ago, when basically *no* insurance covered SRS!

(Earlier this year, I spoke with a trans student who was being incredibly frou frou about her school's particular plan, and how "primitive" it was for including SRS but not covering stuff like BA and laser like her previous school's plan did. I sure wanted to box her on her ears lol!)

If you're a little more desperate, someone who isn't me may have once used pay stubs from multiple jobs to acquire a loan and skipped over to Thailand, where you could get full SRS for not a whole lot more than you're currently looking at paying for just an Orchi.

That's true. Students where I work are covered. Staff and faculty are not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Complete]

Maybe it is time for a change of venue.  In California, most major employers will cover your needs. In addition UC and state university cover students and staff. In addition many municipalities, the state and other government contractors do as well.
Best of luck. Stay strong and keep your eye on the prize.

[OU812]

Maybe it is time for a change of venue.  In California, most major employers will cover your needs. In addition UC and state university cover students and staff. In addition many municipalities, the state and other government contractors do as well.
Best of luck. Stay strong and keep your eye on the prize.

This comes to mind immediately. I rode out the school where I did my bachelor's to get the degree, but the climate was so hostile, I could've really used the stealth benefit of somewhere new, even if it was a step down as far as degree / school reputation.

I still look back on that through the lens of, "Why the hell didn't I transfer? Why did I stay?" And if you're throwing in the matter of health coverage for surgery... yeah. I'd have jumped ship in a heartbeat. Transfer applications would've been a total no-brainer to me.

[Gertrude]

Not moving to CA any time soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Complete]

Not moving to CA any time soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yes. That is understandable. For many that is too high a price to leave our comfort zone and move to some strange and foreign land. Yet for others, the need to be whole is so great, they'd go anywhere.

[Allie24]

I can't move, nor can I transfer schools. I am a year away from a degree at the college I am currently attending, so there'd be little point in transferring to a new one. I am also involved in a long term relationship and would prefer to remain close to my romantic partner... Unless I start working full time I won't be getting health insurance (and Marriott requires that I be working full time hours for a year before I start getting full time benefits). I can't really afford to work full time hours at the moment, either, because of school, which is also very, very important. School and surgery are pretty much equal in terms of importance because both very much affect my future and to sacrifice either one for the other would be detrimental.

At this point I'm just look for ways I can generate money to pay for it. Saving what I can will help immensely. I did a rough calculation, and if I save 100 dollars from every paycheck from January 1 to July 1, I will have about $1200. Add on top of that the roughly $600 I could get from my birthday and Christmas, that's $1800...

I need other ways of making money if I want to be able to have this paid for by the summer (which is the absolute latest I'm willing to push this...).

[Complete]

Sounds like you have some difficult choices ahead. Choose wisely.

[Gertrude]

Yes. That is understandable. For many that is too high a price to leave our comfort zone and move to some strange and foreign land. Yet for others, the need to be whole is so great, they'd go anywhere.

I'm from NY, lived in Iowa and now Arizona. It's not about comfort zone, but economics and a little politics. I've had to start over a couple times. If I was to do it again, I wouldn't dig myself a hole financially nor subject myself to regulation I disagree with given a choice. Maybe Oregon or Washington state, but not CA.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Complete]

I thought California was just as far left as Or. or Wa. You must know something l do not or...maybe you are allowing your politics to affect your life.
My point is that California has many large employment opportunities where insurance will cover many if not most of your medical costs.

[Tessa James]

I thought California was just as far left as Or. or Wa. You must know something l do not or...maybe you are allowing your politics to affect your life.
My point is that California has many large employment opportunities where insurance will cover many if not most of your medical costs.

The west coast states all have laws or insurance requirements that provide for our care as people who are transgender.  People are moving here to Oregon in record numbers.  That is not just the option to go surfing but for the quality of life and opportunities here.

[Gertrude]

I thought California was just as far left as Or. or Wa. You must know something l do not or...maybe you are allowing your politics to affect your life.
My point is that California has many large employment opportunities where insurance will cover many if not most of your medical costs.

They aren't as regulated in certain ways that is important to me and I'll leave it at that. I would say that you'll find more favorable policies at national and international companies that have good policies no matter where you live. That's an option too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro