School-Based Dental Sealants; Licensed Rhode Island Dentists. Facial Feminization Surgery Cost - American Society of Plastic Surgeons First, one of the most significant barriers to FFS for patients is the ability to pay for surgery, which ranges from $40,000 upwards for full-face, one-stage surgery. Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) | Johns Hopkins Medicine From the *Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif. UCLA Gender Health Program, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif. Yet, a number of studies have demonstrated that FFS is not only associated with improvement in quality of life for transfeminine patients, but also, for some patients, the most important aspect of transition.47 Although significant barriers exist, an improvement in insurance coverage for FFS has occurred over time, albeit navigation of the process is both laborious and confusing. The FFS Surgeons listed below are highly qualified plastic, cosmetic and maxillofacial Surgeons who regularly perform FFS. He currently performs approximately 200 genital reconstruction surgery cases per year in Scottsdale, Arizona and Portland, Oregon. This denial should also lay out your options for appeal- both internal (basically, asking the insurance company to reconsider) and external. There are a few limitations in this study that deserve mention. This procedure can alter both soft tissues as well as the facial bone to achieve more feminine-looking facial features. Facial Feminization Miami | The Maercks Institute Facial feminization surgery: the forehead. JAMA. 2010; 19:10191024. Other medical procedures like dermatology, orthopedics, gynecology, and ophthalmology. The structure of this system sucks, but it's the one in which you find yourself and it is your responsibility to make it work for you. Policy Title: Gender Affirming Surgery. 2018; 153:609616. A total of 36 patients (90.0%) have been approved by insurance. Dr. Alan Dulin is a board-certified surgeon with many years of experience performing Male-to-Female Surgery in the Dallas area. Quality of life of individuals with and without facial feminization surgery or gender reassignment surgery. She has a special interest in Facial Feminization and is also highly proficient in Vaginoplasty and Top Surgery. This could include either shaving down or entirely re-contouring the forehead/eyesockets/sinus area using osteotomies (cutting and repositioning bones), shaving the jaw line or a sliding genioplasty (reduction and/or re-positioning of the jaw bone), lifting the upper lip, rhinoplasty (nose job), and bringing the hair line further forward, in addition to other various soft tissue facial adjustments and reduction of the adams apple. Surgeons who practice facial gender confirming surgery often have special training in reconstructing facial features using bone grafting beyond a traditional plastic surgery residency. I could go on about this, but I hate to further the expectation that you must be very mentally ill in order for the "extreme" treatment of FGCS to be warranted. These are difficult to quantify as our institutional billing activities are centralized and carried out by multiple administrators. Furthermore, even in the challenging scenario for insurance authorization reported by Braun and colleagues, Groups B and C also exceed reported estimates. We have a dedicated Insurance Advocacy Team that handles the entire process of insurance approval for patients; we send all your documents to your insurance providers and work with them to try and secure coverage to the fullest extent. If the insurer refuses those attempts, you can appeal externally, but that will almost certainly require professional legal support. 6. If performed all at once, FFS usually takes between 4- 8 hours. It's hard for any person to find their voice to self-advocate when such deeply personal needs are up for debate and judgement as "cosmetic" among random insurance company reviewers. Administering cosmetic fillers may take an hour or less, while complex facial surgery may take several hours. In NY, we have the benefit of a clear history of coverage through Medicaid, and plenty of pro-bono legal teams able to help patients with denials. All data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 25 (IBM, Chicago, Ill.). Transgender women may choose FFS as part of their male-to-female transition process. Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) is a group of facial procedures that alter the face to create more classically feminine characteristics, such as a higher brow, a more refined feminine nose, and less pronounced Adams apple. Everyone who is able to fight through it cracks the door open a little wider for the next person. 15. Disclosure: All the authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. He joined the Austin branch of the Crane Center for Transgender Surgery in 2021, where he offers Top Surgery and Breast Augmentation, Facial Feminization and Vaginoplasty. We can't guarantee insurance coverage but we can guarantee to try our hardest! Other costs to consider are: Our practice does NOT contract with any insurance providers to allay the cost of your facial feminization surgery. Surgery Scheduling, Rescheduling and Cancellations: Oakland Head and Neck . From an historical perspective, both private health insurance carriers and government insurance have declined claims for FFS. With a view to clarifying this issue and answering frequently asked questions, we have compiled the following information in an effort to not only outline how Deschamps-Braly Clinic handles finance and insurance coverage but to also provide general information about how to approach your own health insurance company regarding the cost of your facial feminization. (See table 2, Supplemental Digital Content 2, which displays the total time and cost of the insurance approval process per group. Arch Intern Med. Denver Health to Offer Facial Feminization Gender Confirmation Surgery Based on my conversations with friends who are very satisfied with their FGCS, I assure you that no surgery can completely resolve that anxiety. Bottom Surgery: Cost, Recovery, Procedure Details, and More - Healthline Find Dental Health Services: Department of Health - Rhode Island If there is a section on transgender care that explicitly denies coverage for the procedures in Facial Gender Confirming Surgery, as many do, you can still attempt to advocate for them to be deemed medically necessary. Allure Esthetic & Insurance Coverage For FFS Allure Esthetic is Washington State's top destination for facial feminization surgery. Also referred to as Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery (FGCS), these procedures are becoming more and more popular, and increasingly are covered by insurance. PDF Healthcare Laws and Policies: Medicaid Coverage for Transgender-Related Dr. Lee has gained worldwide recognition as an FFS specialist after it was announced that he performed Caitlyn Jenners facial . Finding a Surgeon Integral to this whole process is the FGCS surgeon. How to Pay for Gender-Affirming Surgery - NerdWallet Try your local trans advocacy groups, LGBTI legal services, support group, etc. Post-surgery garments; Medical tests and x-rays; When choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon for facial feminization surgery, remember that the surgeon's experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery. generic exclusions referenced under "general surgery guidelines" and "cosmetic procedures." South Dakota (0) State Medicaid has no . Each patient is different and your expectations and desired results will be discussed fully in your consultation. Does Medicare cover gender reassignment surgery? - Medical News Today Tseng P, Kaplan RS, Richman BD, et al. FFS is ideal for trans women and non-transgender women who want a more feminine facial appearance. Plast Reconstr Surg. Insurance Requirements for Gender Confirmation Surgery - Verywell Health The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. Modeling performed by Padula and colleagues for employer-based insurance plans in Massachusetts indicated that, over the course of 5 years, coverage for transition-related services would lead to societal costs of $0.016 per month per member.3 The authors concluded that the relatively low societal cost, combined with the increase in quality-adjusted life years for transgender patients, supported coverage of transition-related services in employer-based plans. Out-of-pocket costs for FFS. Privacy Policy (Updated December 15, 2022). Insurance authorization process for FFS.The insurance authorization process for FFS begins with submission of two letters of support from a mental health provider and primary care physician following surgical consult. Upon receipt of a deposit for your surgery, our practice may offer to submit a prior authorization request to your insurance provider. The lady on the phone told me the surgery usually ranges from $60-100,000 dollars. Braun TL, Braun JL, Hernandez C, et al. Call 913-588-6200 to request a consultation. To filter results, enter information and 'click search icon' and/or select from the dropdown lists. Once CGSP receives your form, you will be referred to Plastic Surgery for a consultation. Administrative time in this cohort included obtaining initial authorizations, which resulted in an average of 1.4 0.4 hours spent per patient at an estimated cost of $38.18 10.18 per patient (Fig. Unlike Group B, patients within Group C only had plans that were self-insured under ERISA. He has been performing gender surgery since 2005. Most trans women elect to have all facial feminization procedures performed at once, or in two phases (upper face and lower face). You should be able to download this document through a web portal, but if not, you are legally entitled to a paper copy. Americans who are considering surgery as part of their transition can find the cost of gender-affirming surgery to be steep. In contrast, FFS under insurance coverage allows for inpatient care, which may be important, particularly to surgeon decision-making as well as patients who may have other medical conditions, pain control issues, or those who travel from long distances.