Should transgender health costs be included in public health care?

[RoseyCadaver]

So I should probably give a little background info on some of the health care costs of being a binary transgender person(transmen and transwomen).

Being transgender and wanting to correct your body is quite pricey. You've got hormones,surgeries, and therapies to cover. Some amazing companies like Google and Apple along with healthcare providers will cover hormones and surgeries.

Some of the more known surgeries are top and bottom surgeries (breast augmentation/reduction and vaginoplasty/penoplasty)

Top surgery for a transman can cost up to 6000$ and more. At most a transwoman can expect an A or B cup after hormones. However augmentation can help this. Breast augmentation can cost around 3000$ for a transwoman.

For transmen bottom surgeries can cost up to 18,000$. Transwomen bottoms surgeries can range between 7000$ to 13000$.

Mandatory therapies can cost a butt load of money that is expected in any therapy, and hormones can cost up to 160$ for a 6 month supply.

To my question, do you think transgender health care costs should be included in public health care? Should there be limits on whats covered, and if so what are these limits? Should hormones and therapy be covered?

If you have any additional opinions or words I'd love to hear them.

[britishboy]

So I should probably give a little background info on some of the health care costs of being a binary transgender person(transmen and transwomen).

Being transgender and wanting to correct your body is quite pricey. You've got hormones,surgeries, and therapies to cover. Some amazing companies like Google and Apple along with healthcare providers will cover hormones and surgeries.

Some of the more known surgeries are top and bottom surgeries (breast augmentation/reduction and vaginoplasty/penoplasty)

Top surgery for a transman can cost up to 6000$ and more. At most a transwoman can expect an A or B cup after hormones. However augmentation can help this. Breast augmentation can cost around 3000$ for a transwoman.

For transmen bottom surgeries can cost up to 18,000$. Transwomen bottoms surgeries can range between 7000$ to 13000$.

Mandatory therapies can cost a butt load of money that is expected in any therapy, and hormones can cost up to 160$ for a 6 month supply.

To my question, do you think transgender health care costs should be included in public health care? Should there be limits on whats covered, and if so what are these limits? Should hormones and therapy be covered?

If you have any additional opinions or words I'd love to hear them.



no, its plastic surgery, your choosing to change your body and thats alot of money that could fund cancer surgery

[Korashk]

As much as I hate to say this, I agree with britishboy.

These procedures aren't really health care; they're optional plastic surgery. It's like saying that public health care should cover other plastic surgeries like nose jobs and tummy tucks.

[Rayquaza]

Perhaps some sort of small grant would be fine, but not the entire funding. Personally, I think the money should be put towards better healthcare and cancer research rather than plastic surgery.

[TheDeepestDepths]

I don't agree that they should cover all the costs, but an argument can be made for the fact that an inability to match your sex to your gender can lead to a myriad of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

[britishboy]

I don't agree that they should cover all the costs, but an argument can be made for the fact that an inability to match your sex to your gender can lead to a myriad of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

its just plastic surgery, theyre choosing to change their gender, should people who are upset with their noses get a nose job?

[Stronger]

I'm in agreement with britishboy on this.

[TheDeepestDepths]

its just plastic surgery, theyre choosing to change their gender, should people who are upset with their noses get a nose job?

Someone unhappy with the way their nose looks is not likely to commit suicide or develop severe depression and anxiety over it. For some transgender people their discomfort with their own body and an inability to change it makes them feel as though suicide is the only way out. They have something called Gender Dysphoria which does result in these things as well as restlessness and other symptoms. This (http://tgmentalhealth.com/basic-issues-in-transgender-mental-health/) website describes how being in the wrong body can affect your health.

I'm not saying that the government should fund all their alterations I agree with Tweety that a grant would go a long way in providing aid to people who have a genuine mental issue. Granted, there would have to be limitations in place and maybe professional proof that they are, indeed, transgender before giving the money out.

[Walter Powers]

This is exactly why I oppose socialized healthcare. It causes big Contraversy about what should and shouldn't be covered, when the conversation needs to be about more important things.

[britishboy]

Someone unhappy with the way their nose looks is not likely to commit suicide or develop severe depression and anxiety over it. For some transgender people their discomfort with their own body and an inability to change it makes them feel as though suicide is the only way out. They have something called Gender Dysphoria which does result in these things as well as restlessness and other symptoms. This (http://tgmentalhealth.com/basic-issues-in-transgender-mental-health/) website describes how being in the wrong body can affect your health.

I'm not saying that the government should fund all their alterations I agree with Tweety that a grant would go a long way in providing aid to people who have a genuine mental issue. Granted, there would have to be limitations in place and maybe professional proof that they are, indeed, transgender before giving the money out.

people do commit suicide because of how they look, its plastic surgery and should be treeted as it, while 1 in 3 people get cancer we should be focusing our money and resources on cancer and HIV

[Harry Smith]

This is exactly why I oppose socialized healthcare. It causes big Contraversy about what should and shouldn't be covered, when the conversation needs to be about more important things.

Damn socialism, how dare they provide people with free medical care.

I believe the bare minimum should be provided, but I would want rather strict regulation

[TheDeepestDepths]

people do commit suicide because of how they look, its plastic surgery and should be treeted as it, while 1 in 3 people get cancer we should be focusing our money and resources on cancer and HIV

Yes, people do commit suicide over their looks -not out of discontent, but because they have most likely developed something like BDD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder). Suicide is committed not because of the looks by themselves but because outside influences have caused them to develop this disorder.

It depends on how you view it. I regard it as someone having a condition such as Gender Dysphoria or Transsexualism and they have a medical professional's opinion on the condition and feasible treatments. You on the other hand seem to regard it as a choice. So the opinions differ.

And there is the last problem - there is only so much money to go around. And surgeries and research cost a lot of money. People's opinions are going to differ on what the money should be spent on.

[britishboy]

Yes, people do commit suicide over their looks -not out of discontent, but because they have most likely developed something like BDD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder). Suicide is committed not because of the looks by themselves but because outside influences have caused them to develop this disorder.

It depends on how you view it. I regard it as someone having a condition such as Gender Dysphoria or Transsexualism and they have a medical professional's opinion on the condition and feasible treatments. You on the other hand seem to regard it as a choice. So the opinions differ.

And there is the last problem - there is only so much money to go around. And surgeries and research cost a lot of money. People's opinions are going to differ on what the money should be spent on.

my view is that if you give it to them, you must give it to everyone eles and I strongly believe that finding should be for cancer, its only 60k anyway for major surgery

[Sugaree]

my view is that if you give it to them, you must give it to everyone eles and I strongly believe that finding should be for cancer, its only 60k anyway for major surgery

ONLY 60,000? Is that not even a pittance to you?


I don't think transgender health costs should be included in public health care as far as the surgery goes. When it comes to the hormones, prescription drugs, and even the mental health side of things, I think funding needs to go there. But surgery? Surgery is technically an optional thing, so no funding should go to that.

[britishboy]

ONLY 60,000? Is that not even a pittance to you?


I don't think transgender health costs should be included in public health care as far as the surgery goes. When it comes to the hormones, prescription drugs, and even the mental health side of things, I think funding needs to go there. But surgery? Surgery is technically an optional thing, so no funding should go to that.

60k is a fair price for major surgery

the thing is they knew they would have to pay for the pills so if they couldn't afford it, they shouldn't have went through with the surgery

[Cygnus]

Short answer, no.

Healthcare talk about you HEALTH, not changing your body.

[RoseyCadaver]

So I guess I should throw in my two cents to the question I created.

First off, I'm completely for funding hormones, therapy, and allowing gender changes on IDs with little to no cost.

Second off, to clear some of these things up,

no, its plastic surgery, your choosing to change your body and thats alot of money that could fund cancer surgery

its just plastic surgery, theyre choosing to change their gender,

Short answer, no.

Healthcare talk about you HEALTH, not changing your body.

Pardon my French, but you don't choose to be fucking transgender, that's like saying you choose to be gay. When you feel you're in the wrong body, it does deal with your health, your mental health.

While some of it is plastic surgery(breast augmentation), not all of it is. I'm along with the idea of funding and helping with a surgery, and as someone said, with strict regulations, but not so strict that no one would be benefiting.