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When my insurance company denies a claim based on the services I receive from my doctor,
that both my doctor and I agreed on are essential to my well being, they're saying "No, we don't
acknowledge you as a human being. We don't acknowledge you as a person who needs this
care."
We need to get rid of that gender bias in our medical system and treat people as individuals
with individual needs.
I always felt feminine, and having to hide that, and not having to do that anymore, even
before I started taking the hormones, I knew it was just, it was just a vital part of my
life. You know I got my prescription for my hormones and being a college student and unemployed
and being a veteran, I decided that I was going to try and go to the VA hospital and
get my prescriptions through them. I had done the research on and if I had a prescription,
I was under the impression that I could just walk in there and give my primary care physician
my prescription and the VA would fill them for me. Which wasn't the case. My primary
care physician referred me to the VA's endocrinologist. I went to see the endocrinologist and I was
immediately shut down. She told me that she couldn't give me the care that I needed. I
was so put down by that that I have not been back to the VA since. I've talked to trans
women that go to the VA, and they have different stories and it might have been unique for
me, but it was enough for me to not want to go back. So I've been paying out of pocket
for two years.
For some aspects of our community it's harder to access care. That's especially true for
transgender Coloradans. Whereas about 18% of Coloradans are without insurance, we found
that 27% of the transgender Coloradans that responded to our survey were without health
insurance.
There's been a long history of discrimination within the healthcare system that creates
barriers to people feeling safe and actually wanting to come into the healthcare system,
because of that fear of discrimination or past bad experiences.
The division of insurance saying that "we are noticing that transgender people exist
and we are going to cover them, we are going to make sure they are not discriminated against,"
not only says that we care about transgender Coloradans, but says that we want to make
sure that your health is taken care of. When I chose my primary care physician, my doctor,
my general doctor, I made sure it was someone who knew how to work with transgender clients.
I asked my friends who they went to, and most of my friends especially the transgender or
gender *** friends said "I go to this doctor." So I chose her because of that. I used to
live closer to her but since my partner and I bought a house that's in Adams County I
now drive a half hour to go see her because I know that that drive will maintain my dignity
when I'm with the doctor; and it's worth it to me to know that I'm going to a doctor who
knows that when I have a cold, it's not because I'm transgender, or that when I have the flu
it's not because I'm on testosterone. She will make sure that we are actually dealing
with whatever sickness I have and not blaming it on my gender identity.
Something as basic as acknowledging some ones preferred name and preferred choice of pronouns
can go a long way in creating an environment that feels safe.
Physicians should create a safe space for their transgendered patients. This includes
a comfortable environment and really knowledgeable staff. The Colorado Medical Society and its
members are supporters of ending discrimination of people based on their *** orientation,
gender identity and expression.
I was able to get my legal name changed and after I had surgery, I was able to get my
birth certificate changed and my passport changed so when I went to my insurance company
gave them all that, I am now a female. Because I'm fifty-three years old I am considered
a post-menopausal female, which makes me eligible for estrogen. So now they will provide my
estrogen. However, the best way to check for prostate cancer is through a test called a
PSA. Because I still have a prostate, I have to pay the PSA myself. So, yes it helps in
one sense that they will prescribe my estrogen, but because the PSA is typically a male generated
test, I have to pay $40 to have the PSA test. So, there are a lot of different aspects that
we really have to look at.
It's worth it to me to make sure that my doctor knows how to work with transgender clients
and their office staff know how to work with transgender clients; so they know to use the
right name for me, they know to use the right pronounce, they know to ask me what name I
prefer and what pronouns I prefer, which I can't say for all doctors.
I think there are a lot of things we have to look at and see what are gender specific
that we have to open up, to people of I don't want to say to both genders, of every gender.
I've got no regrets. I would gladly be broke and be happy, than not be broke and be miserable.