Did you change your gender marker with your insurance?

[DapperButch]

For those guys who are able to change their gender marker with their insurance (typically because they changed - were able to change - their birth certificate), did you change it?

I know that unless someone has had hysto the suggestion is not to do that in order to be able to get regular GYN visits covered, complications from still having those body parts covered, or to get a hysto paid for. But, that may be changing with trans coverage coming into play. It still seems like a risk to me though...assuming that over your lifespan trans coverage will always be there.

I have no plans to get a hysto in case I ever want to go off hormones for any reason. Also, I don't have any dysphoria around those internal parts (or at least I don't right now).

You may not want to share your personal experience in this thread, but I would like to hear people's thoughts on the concept of changing your gender marker while still having those internal parts.

As an aside, I really appreciate the small number of trans guys/FTMs on this site responding to these threads.

[Linus]

I haven't changed mine yet. Largely because I have to do the birth certificate first then passport. I was told at the California DMV that I could change gender but I pointed out that meant having to change Canadian passport, NEXUS, etc. .. and that means a letter from surgeon, etc.

The bigger challenge will be what the insurance company accepts. That is, they may need a letter from a surgeon indicating "necessary surgeries".

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Linus

I haven't changed mine yet. Largely because I have to do the birth certificate first then passport. I was told at the California DMV that I could change gender but I pointed out that meant having to change Canadian passport, NEXUS, etc. .. and that means a letter from surgeon, etc.

The bigger challenge will be what the insurance company accepts. That is, they may need a letter from a surgeon indicating "necessary surgeries".

Exactly (insurance).

All states are different. I live in a state where if your therapist or a physician signs a form, you can get your license changed to your correct gender marker.

I always tell my clients to make sure that when they give their driver's license and insurance card for medical care, that they make sure the provider bills the gender marker the insurance has.

For birth cert for FTMs my state requires top surgery. For MTFs, bottom surgery.

[GraffitiBoi]

I did not change mine for insurance reasons. I'm about to though. When I was about to get my hysto done I ran into a little problem. When I signed up for my health insurance I checked female for gender but someone at their office decided I was mistaken because my legal name is male, so that person changed my gender on my insurance to male. Needless to say, my initial requests for the hysto through insurance were denied. Once I figured out the problem I had it corrected and then they allowed my hysto.

Now that I have had that done (in 2010) I can change my gender marker. I completely forgot I hadn't changed it until my doctor mentioned it at my checkup a week ago. She wrote me the letter I needed and now I just need to actually go change it.

[Jesse]

I have changed both my birth certificate and my medical insurance.

[jingles76]

just posting for my hubs, he in fact has changed everything as well, and had a full hysto paid for when he received a letter from both his therapist and a surgeon stating it was a necessity for him to have it because of the testosterone causing issues.

it def is different in every state, and always (even for us trying to help and watching others go through it) so hard for ya'll to get medical care, not to mention the ones that are too shy or embarrassed to explain why/what is going on.

I hope all of you keep up with your gyno care if you need it, phooey on the haters..

sorry that was a rant but I am so happy to see a group of trans men on here (and women) I remember a time Butch femme wasn't too trans friendly!

[theoddz]

I have changed everything......birth certificate (Florida, of all places!!), insurance, name, social security, all work/professional licenses, credentials and certification stuff (I'm a Registered Respiratory Therapist, now retired), and all of my VA and military IDs. I am currently applying for my passport, but that will be fine, with everything reflecting my legal male gender.

I had to undergo a total hysto back in 1993, due to my endocrine disorder, ao that was done waaaaaay prior to my transition. I have also had top surgery, so there's no more chance of breast cancer there, other than what a bio/cis gendered male would have. I guess I could, perhaps, need some sort of medical leeway to be screened for vaginal cancer, tho I haven't had a "pelvic exam" in over 20 years. At the time of my total hysto, they did a "vaginal hysto", so EVERYTHING, from the cervix on up, was taken out.

Now, about my medical situation: I do get most of my health care from the VA, as they have all of my records concerning all of my health issues, and everything is provided to me at no cost, due to my 100% service connected (medically retired from military service) status. I've been even luckier that I've always managed to get good, unbiased, trans-friendly care from my local VA. Heck, I worked for them for 13 of my 20+ years in federal civilian service, so most of them have known me for years and have always been kind and understanding. I transitioned at work, so many of my friends/coworkers saw my changes in progress. With the exception of one or two of the nurses (who didn't like me anyway!! LOL), I had a great experience with transitioning at work.

On the occasions where I've gotten private medical care, outside of the VA, I've had only minor problems from people with attitude, but that was VERY early in my transition, when my (former female) name didn't match my appearance. Other than that, I haven't had any real problems with medical care. If I did happen to have a problem, medically, I have no doubt that the VA would be VERY good about addressing it appropriately and caring for me as I am.

I would like to say here that any of my trans brothers and sisters, who are Veterans, need not worry about receiving good and compassionate care at their local VA's, as in recent years, the VA has developed and implemented many complete trans-friendly policies, thanks, in part, to folks like my friend and trans sister, Monica Helms (President and Founder of TVA, Transgendered Veterans of America) among many others, who have worked many long years, to bring about trans friendly care at the VA. With these policies now firmly in place, the VA is mandated to treat ALL Veterans with equality, care and compassion. The VA now furnishes trans-related hormones, supplies and psychological services to any and ALL trans-identified Veterans. The ONE thing they still don't provide, however, are surgical services for transition (GRS, or Gender Reassignment Surgery), and that, too, is destined to change, in time. The VA is also are mandated to use a patient's self-identified pronouns and chosen name, no matter what that patient's legal status is, if asked to. We have, really, come a looooooong way!!!

~Theo~