Yeah, I know it's not a word. Now, I've been wondering about gender-change operations (or whatever it's called) and I don't know anything about how much it costs. I've looked around and gotten anything from $20,000 to $120,000. So anyone a post-op trans and can tell me more? Or if you just know?
I don't know much about transitional operation prices, but seeing as nobody has posted anything to help I will tell you what I know Thailand is very advanced in sex change operations, and is usually the best place to go to especially for mtf operations. I know a lady who is currently very happy with her progress post-surgery. I also know that ftm surgery is very unadvanced and has a lot of cons attached to it. But it seems that this won't effect you much seeing as you're going the opposite way.
They are expensive. One source I found, by a transwoman, said it was about $53,000 for services over a 7-year period. But that's for the whole process, adjusted to modern costs and dollars, and includes therapy, hormones, electrolysis, and a few legal matters (name changes, for instance). It was about $17,500 for Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) and another $19,500 for Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS). I believe FFS is not always necessary- depends on your appearance; you might not need it. So that's $17,500 for SRS, $37,000 for both surgeries, and about $53,000 for the medical part whole transition. Keep in mind that everyone is different and may require different things. Your therapy may take longer or less time, different amount of hormones, different doctor's fees, etc. So your price will be different. But this one particular person payed about $17,500 for SRS, and about $53,000 total.
It kind of depends on your health insurance provider. I just know someone that underwent SRS and their health insurance paid for half of it. If they had chosen to go out of country to get it the insurance would not have helped at all though.
If I'm not mistaken, insurance might help pay for medication, like hormones. Probably not SRS, though. But JSnow's right, it depends on your insurance.
Some insurances pay for SRS in full or partial, but it's definitely not the majority. Some college insurance plans cover transitional expenses as well. See a list here: TLPI: College and University Policies. Even if your insurance doesn't cover trans-related care, it's possible to get them to help pay for hormones, endocrinologist visits, and gender therapist appointments. In my experience (and what I've heard from others), most gender therapists can list it under Depression and endos can use the diagnostic code for Endocrine Disorder NOS, or if you have another endocrinology issue, they can use that. I'm not sure about procedures for MTF's, but I know FTM's with PCOS who have gotten hysterectomies paid for by insurance, top surgery covered by claiming it was a "preventative masectomy" if their family had a history of breast cancer, etc.
I would just not do it. Guys don't have to wait in bathroom lines! (!) But seriously, it's expensive and people will never really be sure anyway…there was an MtF at our school and I seriously thought she was just a very "different" boy for half of last year. So it's expensive, it doesn't really work that well, and you have longer bathroom lines.
Yes, it is expensive, and passing isn't guaranteed- it depends on how early you start transitioning, your body shape and bone structure, and the skill of the surgeon. But it's not always easy to have this body, to be treated like the wrong sex, to never be seen for who you really are... For many people, not transitioning just isn't an option. To me, it's not about bathrooms and clothes; I see SRS more as reconstructive surgery to remove what shouldn't be there and replace it with what should be there. Money and pain is no object when it comes to my future.
