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A few questions about transitioning.

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Anthemic, Jan 3, 2017.

  1. Anthemic

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    My ex, (who has recently come out as a transgender male) is trying to transition into his correct body. We broke up in February 2016, because of personal issues, but we recently started talking again (friends only). He has some questions about the process, but has no one to ask personally. I told him about joining a forum to ask questions, but he isn't a forum kind of guy, lol. He's going to a doctor soon. So anyway, my questions are:

    - Will any insurance companies cover any costs of reassignment surgery? (breast removal, breast augmentation, genitalia reconstruction, etc.)
    - If insurance doesn't cover breast removal for gender reasons, will a surgeon still remove them if he says they hurt his back? (I'm aware that it will probably be classified as a cosmetic procedure for reconstruction.)
    - How long will he be sore after the breast removal? (I know everyone is different. But an estimate would be nice.) :slight_smile:
    - How long will he have to live as a man before they allow him to transition?
    - About how much are hormone replacements?

    He lives in Washington state, (just in case it depends on the area).
     
  2. WhiteShadows

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    I'm from Australia so idk anything about the process over there.

    However, regarding soreness....
    My current partner is trans and when he had top surgery he was sore for about a week, but said it wasn't too bad. He couldn't do much physical activity for a couple of weeks.
     
  3. Anthemic

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    That's good to hear! Thanks so much! :grin:
     
  4. ThatRangerGirl

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    I'm a Transgender *girl* who has not transitioned, so everything I'm going to say is from things I've gathered talking to others or learned online. Take it with a grain of salt.

    (1) Yes, they all do, since ObamaCare. However most cover the *bare minimum* and they will fight tooth and nail to reject an insurance claim for breast removal, even though he has it on his plan.

    (2) Yes, and it would be likely to be covered by insurance, as back-pain is taken very seriously in America because it can lead to much more serious issues. *However* I strongly advise against this, because their is a relatively significant (around 30-40%) that they will discover he was lying, at least eventually-- if they do he could face hefty fines from the government (thousands or tens of thousands of dollars,) he could face prison time for medical fraud, and if the insurance company decides to suit him he could lose millions of dollars, instead of thousands-- all while having to pay for the procedure alone, if he gets it at all.

    (3) A few weeks to a few months. This I am less sure about. If he were transitioning to female I would have a much better idea.

    (4) This varies depending on his individual psychologist (he will be required to see a psychologist regularly for a minimum of a few months before transitioning,) and it will depend on his Endocrinologist/Surgeon. They all have their own policies. Some (these ones are relatively rare) don't require you to wait at all. Most require you to have lived in your true gender for 12 months, while seeing (the same) psychologist at least once a month--preferably more often (the psychology appointments will be covered by insurance.)

    (5) Hormone replacments very in cost a lot, between several hundred dollars a month, and several thousand. Generally speaking Testosterone is more expensive than Estrogen, but there are way to many variables to make a blanket statement on that.