Sasha's Transition Expenses
Donation protected
Short story: Transitioning is expensive.
I was assigned male at birth and have been working to start my hormonal transition to female. I have been living as a woman for a few years now, but been regularly blocked for hormones due to being in the wrong hands. I have now found myself with doctors who listen and care about me, as well as the right path towards beginning a hormone regiment (UPDATE: hormone replacement therapy began on October 21, 2016!), but the costs are quite high.
From August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016, I paid $11,573 in out of pocket expenses related to medical care. Most of this was related to therapy; my therapist charges $200 for each hour-long session. These take place on an biweekly basis, as in addition to transition I have anxiety disorders that I am working through, as well as PTSD/trauma due to being emotionally, physically, and sexually abused growing up. My insurance denies these claims because they believe the visits are related to transition, and they do not cover gender transition under my plan, which I receive through my job.
In addition to my therapy expenses, my insurance also denies my anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic medications, but fortunately those are fairly cheap in generic form. They also have denied routine care from my primary care physician (only to reverse course when I file an appeal). The amount of money being spent in therapy means I have no money left for electrolysis treatments on my face and neck to remove facial hair, or for the eventual gender confirmation surgery.
If my insurance does pick up transition expenses, it would only cover medically necessary expenses (read: hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery). It would also pick up my therapy sessions. Electrolysis is considered a cosmetic treatment, though, and would not be covered, so there is still some sunk cost involved with transition.
I was assigned male at birth and have been working to start my hormonal transition to female. I have been living as a woman for a few years now, but been regularly blocked for hormones due to being in the wrong hands. I have now found myself with doctors who listen and care about me, as well as the right path towards beginning a hormone regiment (UPDATE: hormone replacement therapy began on October 21, 2016!), but the costs are quite high.
From August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016, I paid $11,573 in out of pocket expenses related to medical care. Most of this was related to therapy; my therapist charges $200 for each hour-long session. These take place on an biweekly basis, as in addition to transition I have anxiety disorders that I am working through, as well as PTSD/trauma due to being emotionally, physically, and sexually abused growing up. My insurance denies these claims because they believe the visits are related to transition, and they do not cover gender transition under my plan, which I receive through my job.
In addition to my therapy expenses, my insurance also denies my anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic medications, but fortunately those are fairly cheap in generic form. They also have denied routine care from my primary care physician (only to reverse course when I file an appeal). The amount of money being spent in therapy means I have no money left for electrolysis treatments on my face and neck to remove facial hair, or for the eventual gender confirmation surgery.
If my insurance does pick up transition expenses, it would only cover medically necessary expenses (read: hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery). It would also pick up my therapy sessions. Electrolysis is considered a cosmetic treatment, though, and would not be covered, so there is still some sunk cost involved with transition.
Organizer
Sasha Morrigan
Organizer
Richmond, VA
