One question that I hear over and over again is "how will I
be able to pay for my gender reassignment surgery?" I am not a financial
planner, but let me give you some real-world advice on this subject. I've been
there, a pre-op transsexual desperately searching for a way to fund my gender
reassignment surgery. I wasn't wealthy so I had to consider every possible
option.
I left a job paying about $45,000 yearly which was pretty
good money back in the early 1990's. I simply didn't have the emotional strength
to transition on the job. I respect all of you who can pull it off. I
transitioned pretty successfully and I quickly landed a job as a secretary. I
was living full-time and working as a female! But, imagine my shock when I got
my first $6.00 per hour paycheck. This wasn't going to be as simple as I'd
hoped. Finances were obviously a major concern for me.
First,
I should say that I do recommend following the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care.
Following the Standards of Care for gender dysphoria and ultimately completing
gender reassignment surgery requires time, patience, perseverance, planning and
money. I should also mention that pain tolerance will indeed be helpful. I can't
condone the dangerous practices of acquiring drugs from other countries or from
anyone other than a qualified physician. Your life is far too important to take
such risks!
Being a fairly detail-oriented person, I actually approached
my own transition as I would any important decision. First, I prepared a
detailed plan for my transition which included everything from the anticipated
timeline to finances required for successful completion. I also listed the
support network of family, friends and helping professionals I would need along
the way.
You really have to think outside the box since you're trying to do something as
extraordinary as gender reassignment surgery. Often times I've seen people who
can't see the benefit of partial solutions. Your source of funding will probably
not come from any one single source. Instead, you are likely to find that you
have to combine many different sources of funding to achieve your ultimate
goals.
I am going to list some of the resources I relied upon. You
may not have access to all of these. You very well may think of some others that
I don't mention here.
My list of resources follows;
Health Insurance: While I was not able to get funding for my gender reassignment
surgery, I was able to get help along the way with hormone replacement therapy,
psychotherapy and rhinoplasty (nose job). In the case of the hormone replacement
therapy, I simply submitted my prescription under my health plan and nobody ever
asked any questions (cha-ching!). I presented myself for psychotherapy for
depression and anxiety. It was only after we began that the gender dysphoria was
discussed. (I really was depressed and anxious, but read between the lines
here). My rhinoplasty was for a deviated septum which is a medically necessary
procedure (again, read between the lines).
Check you insurance policy to see if it will cover gender
reassignment surgery. Although most policies exclude such procedures, some
employers policies do allow it. I have heard that the City of San Fransisco,
Boing and Intel are among those that provide for gender reassigment surgery for
their employees. To date, Medicare does not allow for gender reassigment surgery
as they consider it to be "experimental."
Savings: I didn't really have much money in savings, but I started a savings
account and added to it as often as possible. Once the money was there I tried
really hard not to
touch it.
Employment: I eventually got another job and worked at both
for one and a half years to save up money for surgery. Fortunately, I was able
to pass well and during transition I worked a daytime and an evening job. I was
able to pay the bills and add some money to my savings.
Retirement Accounts: Cash them in if this is important enough to you. I cashed
out a modest retirement account that helped me live without working for six
months while I transitioned from male to full-time female. That's about all it
allowed for, but it got me through this period of down-time in my life.
Credit Cards: It isn't usually wise to use credit cards for major expenses, but
we have to think outside the box. If you can make the payments then my favorite
words are CHARGE IT!
Personal Loans: I did ask some family, friends and even my employer for personal
loans. I was fortunate to have some people who believed in me and helped
contribute to my surgery fund. This included a generous contribution from my
employer.
Loan Companies: I had fairly decent credit, so I was able to qualify for a
couple loans to help with my transition and SRS. These generally carry a high
interest rate so be careful.
Home
Equity: If you have a home you are in a great position to generate income by
either selling your home or obtaining a home equity loan. Home equity loans
generally carry a lower interest rate and therefore are more attractive than
some other financing options. You could even rent out a spare room if necessary.
Sale of Personal Assets: Perhaps you don't really need that
collection of firearms you've been collecting since your days in the military.
Almost everyone has personal possessions that have value. I sold some of my
photography equipment and other personal items. Sure it hurt, but a girl has to
set her priorities.
Beware of getting so far in debt you can't pay off your responsibilities,
although bankruptcy may be a viable option if you are entering transition with a
heavy debt burden. This should only be considered upon sound legal and/or
financial advice. So many people enter bankruptcy to pay off minor debt loads
that could have been otherwise restructured through consumer debt counseling and
payment arrangements.
I also caution against believing that your knight in shining armor will come
along. Few of us ever find Prince Charming with both the willingness and the
financial resources to bear our SRS expenses. It does happen but don't lay all
your hopes and dreams in what somebody else might do for you someday. It is your
life, your responsibility and you can make it happen!
Once again, I caution against thinking too narrowly when considering possible
resources. Your solution will most likely result from sound planning and
multiple funding sources. Gainful employment is an absolute necessity for most
of us who are entering transition. I do not recommend even considering
transition until your support network is in place and you have secured
employment in your new role. You can then use the income from that employment to
pay for the wide variety of expenses that accompany SRS such as electrolysis,
prescriptions, clothing, makeup, doctors visits and co-pays, etc.
When choosing employment, if you have the luxury of choosing between different
jobs, I would weigh the benefit of any health insurance in the final decision of
which employer to choose. Other considerations might include the ability to
advance, ability to obtain leave time for SRS, how understanding the employer is
toward transgender employees, etc.
I hope some of this helps. I wish all who face gender transition the very best
of luck and success.
