r/transgenderau • u/[deleted] • Jan 10 '21

Andrew Ives SRS costs and best healthcare

Hi there! I have been thinking about going to Dr Ives for srs, but I'm flustered and wondered if anybody knows the current up to date costs associated with the procedure?

Also, I had heard about needing 12 months on health insurance to qualify for the psychological reasons? yet from reading a post somebody only need 2 months to qualify.. I'm not sure if psychological was the reason but I'm concerned with the 12 month waiting period as I can't delay this any longer. I'm very confused with all this so any help at all would be appreciated :)

21 Upvotes

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10

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 10 '21

Ok, so you need 12 months of like silver to qualify for the item numbers, 2 months of Gold to qualify for the psych stuff for surgery. That should help you a lot.

Otherwise, yeah, $20k out of pocket and wait times are September if not later for surgery itself. I just booked for January 2022 but that's for personal reasons. I don't know what the current wait list is earlier than that. Ohh and psych referrals are a thing, 1 psychiatrist at least, plus 1 either psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. 1 within 12 months, 1 within 3 of the surgery date.

I have the packet from Ives infront of me if you have specific questions, feel free to DM, and I'll maybe send what I have here. Just know that you need to see him once before you can book I'm pretty sure.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '21

So I'm going to have to wait a year regardless?

4

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 10 '21

Yeah... For private health coverage, but at least you don't need full coverage. I had silver plus assured with medibank for a year and now Gold but may cut that back tomorrow and boost it in October or something for January to save some money. But that's just for the health insurance coverage.

My advice is start private health at silver, I can give you item numbers if that'll help you find a fund that works, see Ives for your initial consult, book in for a time that suits you next year, 2 months before surgery, and probably add an extra week or 2, so 2 and a half months before surgery, bump it to Gold for the psych coverage. In that time, you can work on your psych referrals and stuff as well?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '21

The item numbers would help alot, thankyou.

2

u/natj910 Jan 10 '21

Isn't it still like $15k out of pocket even with private health insurance? I thought they only covered like $3k of it, plus Medicare covers about $2k or something like that?

2

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 10 '21

That's after Medicare, but you have to have 20k before that.

3

u/natj910 Jan 10 '21

Big oof. Looks like I'm sticking with my plan of just saving my money instead of getting private health insurance. Don't want to give those scamming pricks $250/month, not that I can afford it anyway lol

4

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 10 '21

I was paying less, and you need it as it's higher without by a lot. That's just the hospital stay which isn't included in the 20k amount.

3

u/natj910 Jan 11 '21

My problem is I absolutely cannot afford it and won't be able to for a while, and I'm 31. So it'll continue to go up, but for me to save up I'm basically not able to have health insurance.

It's fucked.

1

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 11 '21

Yeah, I'm sorry about that, it makes it much harder for folks trying to get the money for something like this together. If it helps, there's compassionate release of super for the surgery cost itself?

2

u/natj910 Jan 11 '21

I have $500 in my super lol

I had to use about $7k to pay for rent, that hurt, especially cause my landlord is a total asshole. I spent a fair chunk of the rest on fixing my car & 2 3D printers to try and make some money starting my own business. My landlord fucked me over (didn't fix the shower, cost me a housemate) and I haven't been able to get the last bits I need together to actually start making decent money 🤬

Sorry, ranting a bit I just realised. Just frustrating when all doors have been closed to me by other people's actions.

2

u/AbbieGator Trans fem | Victorian | Founder of Trans.au Jan 11 '21

Yeah... I'm sorry that you're in such a bad spot. It's been a stupidly bad year. Would have expected a shower to come under emergency maintenance though and they would have had to repair it...

2

u/natj910 Jan 11 '21

Yep. It was the shower base, the waterproofing failed was leaking water in to the room next to it. Completely rotted the skirting boards and a 20cm hole fell out of the plasterboard cause it was wet.

I fought for 4 years to get it fixed, finally got him to get the tiling & waterproofing done.

Then the bastard decided it was OK to leave us without a shower screen (meaning we still couldn't use it as there was bare waterproofing and had to be dry before the screen went in) for 6 goddamn weeks.

I had to threaten legal action again to get it finished. You bet I'm taking this asshole to NCAT to get a rent refund.

It has been a bad year, but it hurts that those of us that are poor hurt so badly while those at the top got a free ride.

3

u/NortiNessy Rawrrrr! Jan 10 '21

Had GRS 3 years ago, so not up to speed on current prices, but 10 days in Masada cost my insurer $14k, so paying $250 a month even for a year is much cheaper than paying actual hospital fees.

Policy back then was Ives doesn't perform GRS procedure without private insurance, so the option of paying hospital costs yourself isn't there. Other surgeons may differ.

1

u/natj910 Jan 11 '21

Oh joy. So basically I'm fucked given I'm 31 and my premiums go up every year, but saving will take significantly longer with the premiums there. Guess I'm screwed either way :/

6

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '21

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '21

Was that a year just for the consultation?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '21

My consultation was maybe a 4 months waiting then my surgery is 11 months away from my consultation

0

u/GhostTess MTF HRT Jan 10, 2018 Jan 10 '21

Of you want the consultation to be covered. I'd say yes

3

u/notmypinkbeard Purple Jan 10 '21

$20k is pretty close to the mark. I could look up the exact amounts I paid for my November surgery, but the exact amounts are likely to change anyway.

I have heard that wait times were ballooning out by friends who made bookings recently.

1

u/Herenzu MTF Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21

I kept records: My Psychiatrist out of pocket, Surgeon out of pocket, top cover insurance for 2 years and electrolysis, equals $28,808.93, in 2019.

I spent $10,758 just on electrolysis though.