SRS/GRS funding is dropped in Alberta, Canada

[gothique11]

As of yesterday, the Government of Alberta has stopped funding GRS/SRS funding, and de-listed the program that has helped many transsexuals have access to GRS. Previously, the province would pay for about 16 people who've gone through the gender program to have surgery in Montreal (or to Meltzer, if you have a medical reason Brassard can't deal with).

The news has impacted Alberta hugely, leaving dozes who were  booked to have surgery in the next few months hanging, and being to forced to cancel their GRS appointments.  Others still in the process at the gender clinic can still go through and get the letters required for GRS, but will not receive funding.

The Trans community and allies have been trying to organize and fight the government over this. Emotions are running high, and several suicide threats have inspired and word of some ending up in the hospital. Deaths have not been reported as I know, yet. It's very tragic.

Two Alberta groups have most of the information:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=85048933488&ref=share and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlbertaTransPeerSupportNetwork/

At the moment, the community is highly emotional and organizing has been difficult, but it has started.

The Trans community and its allies won't let this go down without a fight.

News source:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health/Alta+faces+rights+battle+over+change+coverage/1478385/story.html

[mina.magpie]

Oh wow. That's awful.

Unfortunately it's so true what Ms. Garvin says. Most of us go into stealth, the public just ever see the train-wrecks on Jerry Springer, and they get a totally skewed view of what's really wrong with us.

I hope you guys manage to reverse this.

Mina.

[tekla]

Other services and procedures are being cut back, it's more economic than social.  The trouble with any sort of managed care is that your in a zero sum game as there is not an unlimited source of funds.  So people are faced with a choice between an expense deal for a few people, or possibly spending that money to do more good for more people. Its just the beginning of a lot of hard choices Western Governments are going to face, and given recent decisions, I'm very doubtful that they will make good ones.

[mina.magpie]

Its just the beginning of a lot of hard choices Western Governments are going to face, and given recent decisions, I'm very doubtful that they will make good ones.

QFT.

[gothique11]

Actually, very little was cut in other programs (several got big increases), and the budget actually increased. The money "saved" from nixing GRS surgery from the provincial health care plan went to help give out government raises. GRS was specifically targeted to be a de-listed service, not because it cost too much money for the province. Even the fiance minister suggested that in her last Q&A speech yesterday.

In terms of the provincial budget, it barely costs anything. It's been deemed to be cut off because it's GRS -- not because of economics or that it's too expensive.

Post Merge: April 09, 2009, 07:47:07 PM
I should also note that Alberta is Canada's richest province, has the lowest employment rate of all of Canada (and indeed, North America).

Provinces that still have GRS funding are B.C. and Ontario (both are having a harder time with the recession, but both can still cover surgery).
Post Merge: April 10, 2009, 04:18:18 AM
Out of the budget (just over 13 Billion),is that $700,000 "saved" is about 0.0019%. 

Many feel that the $700,000 projection for the cost of surgeries is also way over-estimated (16 slots are open per year, about 2-3 for FtM and 13-14 for MtF). No matter how anyone has done the math, they still can't figure out who the government claims it's saving $700,000 out of slashing the program. Say, you have 13 girls and 3 guys. We'll say it's $20,000 for the girls, and $80,000 for the guys. The total is $420,000 -- that's a few hundred-thousand short of the "cost saving cut" that they are doing. And about the price to buy a home in Calgary.

But really, the cost comes down to the people it affects. And you really can't put a price on a human life.