paying for surgery
Surgery of any kind is incredibly expensive. It is even more so for trans* individuals in the U.S. because of the lack of health insurance coverage for transition surgeries and high rates of poverty in this population (as noted in the Oppression and Health Care tabs). As such, trans* clients are highly likely to need social workers' help in planning ways to raise surgery.
Carecredit
http://www.carecredit.com/
CareCredit is a credit card that can be used to pay for medical expenses. Unlike typical credit cards, borrowers accrue no interest while paying off their debt for a promotional period of time (which varies). After this promotional period, the loan has a fixed interest. More information is available at their website, listed above. It should be important to note that not all surgeons accept CareCredit for payment for their surgery.
CareCredit is a credit card that can be used to pay for medical expenses. Unlike typical credit cards, borrowers accrue no interest while paying off their debt for a promotional period of time (which varies). After this promotional period, the loan has a fixed interest. More information is available at their website, listed above. It should be important to note that not all surgeons accept CareCredit for payment for their surgery.
gofundme
http://www.gofundme.com/
GoFundMe is a free website where anyone can set up a fundraising page which shows your story, face, fundraising goal, and allows people to donate money securely online. The fundraising can be for any reason, and the minimum donation is $1. See the link for more information.
GoFundMe is a free website where anyone can set up a fundraising page which shows your story, face, fundraising goal, and allows people to donate money securely online. The fundraising can be for any reason, and the minimum donation is $1. See the link for more information.
the jim collins foundation
http://jimcollinsfoundation.org/
The Jim Collins Foundation was created in honor of Jim Collins, a trans* ally and social worker/psychotherapist, to raise money for transitioning surgeries for trans* people with financial need. They fundraise each year, and the number of grants given depend on the amount of money they are able to raise that year. Grant applications are submitted online through their website, and applicants must be 18 or older by the grant submission deadline (found on the site) to qualify. More information can be found at their website.
The Jim Collins Foundation was created in honor of Jim Collins, a trans* ally and social worker/psychotherapist, to raise money for transitioning surgeries for trans* people with financial need. They fundraise each year, and the number of grants given depend on the amount of money they are able to raise that year. Grant applications are submitted online through their website, and applicants must be 18 or older by the grant submission deadline (found on the site) to qualify. More information can be found at their website.
health insurance
Predominantly, surgeries performed for transitioning purposes are NOT covered by health insurance companies, but it is still a good idea to check with your company to see if there is any way to cover your procedure(s). The following companies may or may not have policies that cover various transitioning surgeries:
Additionally, the coverage of transitional surgeries by Medicare and Medicaid is currently being considered by the U.S. government (written June 26, 2013).
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
Additionally, the coverage of transitional surgeries by Medicare and Medicaid is currently being considered by the U.S. government (written June 26, 2013).