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Should insurance cover transgender/sexual related surgeries and procedures?

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Before you answer, I'd like to know if you think you have a good understanding of transgender/sexual issues. :)

Should insurance cover trans-related procedures and surgeries? If yes, which ones? If no, why not?

Another big problem trans men I've talked to have is getting pap smears and obgyn visits covered by their insurance. They need them, but if they're listed as male it won't cover them.

Should insurance companies change so that they're "gender-blind", so to speak?
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
You didn't answer my first question, RR. How well-informed do you consider yourself about transgender/sexual subjects? Do you know anything about what the APA has to say on gender identity disorder?

Simply put, are you doing anything other than spouting off whatever you think without doing any research into the matter?
 

jamaesi

To Save A Lamb
Sure, I say they should send everyone a blank check every month so we can do whatever we like when ever we like. :rolleyes:

Because that's exactly like a transman dying from ovarian cancer because a doctor will not treat them as he was born female and now are male or that same transman dying because he can't afford treatment because his insurance company is so greedy that they'll let gender get in the way of doing their job that they are paid to do.

Your comment was beyond insensitive and I can only think it was deliberately intended to hurt.
 

Aqualung

Tasty
I have some knowledge about this issue.

Private insurance should be able to cover whichever procedures the insurance company deems are appropriate for their business. To understand my opinion better, one must also understand that I don't think there should be any state supplied insurance. Insurance should be a competetive business. Some insurances will decide that it is better for their business if they cover these types of procudures, and they should be able to.
 

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
Before you answer, I'd like to know if you think you have a good understanding of transgender/sexual issues. :)

Yes... I've been trying to figure myself out for a bit now...

Should insurance cover trans-related procedures and surgeries? If yes, which ones? If no, why not?

I don't know... I guess I would say that if the insurance covers other types of plastic surgery then sure. And yes, I do mean cosmetic.... trans surgeries aren't physically needed, not like reconstructive plastic surgery and that's where I would draw the line.

Another big problem trans men I've talked to have is getting pap smears and obgyn visits covered by their insurance. They need them, but if they're listed as male it won't cover them.

That does seem to be a big problem... but I don't know how to fix it.

Should insurance companies change so that they're "gender-blind", so to speak?

I'd love for that, but I don't know if it's really possible..
 

Aqualung

Tasty
I don't know... I guess I would say that if the insurance covers other types of plastic surgery then sure. And yes, I do mean cosmetic.... trans surgeries aren't physically needed, not like reconstructive plastic surgery and that's where I would draw the line.
I think this discussion is about more than just the actual gender changing procedure, but also about the necessary procedures that will happen afterwards. The example brought up was a man who had had some procedure, later needing to have a pap smear.
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Just to throw these out here early: The most common figures for trans individuals who commit suicide if they don't have some form of transition (usually surgery and hormones if they're physically capable of it) is between 20 and 50%. 50% is the most common number, with 20% being a conservative estimate.

And Khalila isn't making up stories about trans men dying of ovarian cancer, either. A trans man that lived only a half hour from me died when he went to dozens of doctors to be treated for ovarian cancer. None of them would do it because it might "hurt their practice". The documentary Southern Comfort was made about him before he died.

Are either of those compelling to you guys?
 

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
I think this discussion is about more than just the actual gender changing procedure, but also about the necessary procedures that will happen afterwards. The example brought up was a man who had had some procedure, later needing to have a pap smear.

I know, I admit that I don't know the all of the fine details, but I thought that this would fall under a type of plastic surgery, and even under cosmetic surgery because it's not vital for their life to have it done, like say getting the appendix out is vital to their life. Is it vital for the mental health? Quite possibly yes. But it would still be something that they want to do.
 

jamaesi

To Save A Lamb
I don't know... I guess I would say that if the insurance covers other types of plastic surgery then sure. And yes, I do mean cosmetic.... trans surgeries aren't physically needed, not like reconstructive plastic surgery and that's where I would draw the line.

I didn't need two majour back surgeries. My life was not going to be threatened by not having them done. I would have just been paralyzed from the waist down. I don't need to walk, there are wheelchairs...
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
I know, I admit that I don't know the all of the fine details, but I thought that this would fall under a type of plastic surgery, and even under cosmetic surgery because it's not vital for their life to have it done, like say getting the appendix out is vital to their life. Is it vital for the mental health? Quite possibly yes. But it would still be something that they want to do.
Can I assume you support forcing people with depression, bipolar disorder, ADD/HD, etc, to pay full price for their medication? After all, they won't die without it. They just want to take it, since it's vital to their mental health.

Also, please reference my post on between 20 and 50% of trans people committing suicide by 30 when they don't transition. This is a matter of life and death.
 

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
Oh geez, I didn't mean it like that! I don't know what I'm trying to say... so before I do more damage I'll just leave the thread...
 

Aqualung

Tasty
And Khalila isn't making up stories about trans men dying of ovarian cancer, either. A trans man that lived only a half hour from me died when he went to dozens of doctors to be treated for ovarian cancer. None of them would do it because it might "hurt their practice". The documentary Southern Comfort was made about him before he died.
As I believe insurance should be private, I also think health care should be. These people will have to deal with their conscience, but they shouldn't have to deal with the law when they choose to run their business in what they see a profitable manner. Negative rights > positive rights.
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
As I believe insurance should be private, I also think health care should be. These people will have to deal with their conscience, but they shouldn't have to deal with the law when they choose to run their business in what they see a profitable manner. Negative rights > positive rights.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree :) After all these stories of people dying because someone was more worried about a penny in their pocket than someone's life, I'm inclined to say someone should have their license revoked if they refuse to treat someone for reasons other than lack of the skill needed to do so.
 

Aqualung

Tasty
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree :) After all these stories of people dying because someone was more worried about a penny in their pocket than someone's life, I'm inclined to say someone should have their license revoked if they refuse to treat someone for reasons other than lack of the skill needed to do so.

We can agree to disagree, but it's not fair to say that and THEN bring up a highly debatable point. :D

Just kidding. I won't debate it if you want to agree to disagree.
 

Ðanisty

Well-Known Member
I absolutely think they should be covered! It's really easy to say a procedure isn't necessary when you don't need it...
 

jamaesi

To Save A Lamb
As I believe insurance should be private, I also think health care should be. These people will have to deal with their conscience, but they shouldn't have to deal with the law when they choose to run their business in what they see a profitable manner. Negative rights > positive rights.

So would you feel the same way if you died because medical professionals refused treatment to you because you were Mormon or white or any other inherent aspect about yourself?

Medical professionals are bound by their profession to not judge and to just treat people no matter who they were or what happened to cause them to need medical attention.
 

Reverend Rick

Frubal Whore
Premium Member
Because that's exactly like a transman dying from ovarian cancer because a doctor will not treat them as he was born female and now are male or that same transman dying because he can't afford treatment because his insurance company is so greedy that they'll let gender get in the way of doing their job that they are paid to do.

Your comment was beyond insensitive and I can only think it was deliberately intended to hurt.

You all assume too much. Insurance companies are the biggest thieves on the planet. Take cancer insurance for instance. No one dies of cancer, but cancer is the reason your kidney or liver stops or you quit breathing because of pneumonia.

Cause of death will not be cancer and the insurance company is off the hook. Previous conditions prevent people from having insurance. They only want to insure folks who won't need them and then when they do they screw them too.

I have cancer. I have been battling this disease for 30 years now. I have had four operations, radiation and chemotherapy. I am uninsurable, but my family and employees are. I hate insurance companies.

I love the way people jump to conclusions about everything. I'm going to start a fight with a dyke on a bike right after I finish this post........NOT. I might get my butt whooped.
 

Aqualung

Tasty
So would you feel the same way if you died because medical professionals refused treatment to you because you were Mormon or white or any other inherent aspect about yourself?
You betcha. I'm willing to stand up for my beliefs even in the face of death. I'm not soft in that regard.

Medical professionals are bound by their profession to not judge and to just treat people no matter who they were or what happened to cause them to need medical attention.

Wrongly so, IMO.
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Augh. I've tried to post this three times now, and every time I tried the post has been eaten.

Abbreviated version: Who's assuming what, RR? You've said that you consider potentially life-saving (both due to mental and physical health) treatments for trans individuals on par with a blank check to do "whatever we like".
 
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