The differences between male and female facial features vary with age, ethnicity, and how early hormonal therapy began. Facial Feminization Surgery NYC | Board Certified Plastic Surgeon 2010; 19:10191024. Administrative costs associated with physician billing and insurance-related activities at an academic health care system. Facial feminization surgery (FFS): The permanent . Societal implications of health insurance coverage for medically necessary services in the U.S. Transgender population: a cost-effectiveness analysis. A total of 33 patients between 19 and 40 years of age were referred for facial feminization surgery between January of 2003 and December of 2013, for a total of 180 procedures. Ask to speak to people's supervisors. FFS consults (n = 40) at the University of California, Los Angeles (20182020) were reviewed for time and cost to definitive insurance authorization decision. Dr. Harris is a highly skilled, board-certified Surgeon in the Dallas area who has been developing an international reputation for transgender surgery. Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Americans who are considering surgery as part of their transition can find the cost of gender-affirming surgery to be steep. Dr. Lee is a fellowship-trained and board-certified plastic surgeon with deep expertise in aesthetic and reconstructive procedures for the chest/breast and face. Dr. Nghiem is an Ivy League-educated, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon in Washington, D.C. who specializes in transgender surgery, including Chest Masculinization and Breast Augmentation. Gender-Affirming Surgery Information - East Bay Ultimately this letter is between you and your provider, but here is some sample language that has been helpful to patients I've worked with: "Patient X has been adherent to two years of hormone replacement therapy including (specific estrogen regimen.) 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. 8. Values: "At Kamol Hospital we provide a complete spectrum of fine cosmetic surgical procedures, performed by elite plastic surgeons setting new technological achievements. 3). How Do I Pay For Facial Feminization Surgery? - drbastidas.com During his plastic surgery residency, Dr. Esmonde worked in the Transgender Health Program at OHSU. Care Credit approval amounts can vary from person to person. Ousterhout DK. Medi-Cal, the California state equivalent of Medicaid, authorizes all gender-affirming surgeries including FFS and Medicare does not require prior authorization. This guide is 201 level, geared towards those who find themselves covered with an ACA exchange plan or private insurance, as Medicaid processes are much more state specific. If they are a member of WPATH or other applicable professional associations, they should name that. He serves as Division Chief of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Program Director of the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship. 2010; 170:17281734. Bariatric Surgery. 2. 4. Error bars denote standard error. 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. Price on request Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) View details & Read reviews CALL NOW. 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. We can't guarantee insurance coverage but we can guarantee to try our hardest! Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery or Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) is a technique utilized to change masculine facial features into softer feminine ones. The Group C authorization process, which resulted in denial of services, consumed a 9-fold higher amount of time (P < 0.001) and 26-fold higher cost (P < 0.001) when compared with Group A (Fig. Thus, coverage significantly increases accessibility. The doctor said very encouraging. Insurance Coverage for FFS Surgery abroad Medical inequality for trans people means that access to quality trans healthcare is absent or limited in many regions. She has the skill and artistry to help produce the aesthetic goals that transgender and non-binary patients seek with Top Surgery, Breast Augmentation and Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery. Gender Affirming Surgery - Medical Clinical Policy Bulletins - Aetna Dr. Ley has joined Dr. Scott Mossers Gender Confirmation Center in San Francisco, where she will begin seeing patients in March 2022. As much as possible, Dr. Salgado will do what he can to keep costs at a minimum. Conveniently Located to Serve Chicago and Illinois. This may influence the decision-making of surgeons with respect to the complexity of procedures to perform. Group A (standard approval) included patients who were approved after undergoing a standard authorization process, such as those with Medi-Cal, Medicare, and private insurance. We recommend you take at least two weeks off from work to recover, but expect up to six to eight weeks of decreased activity. Want to use our data? PDF Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) Preparation Guide - Thrive 2019; 144:11591168. Facial Feminization Surgery (FSS) Houston and The Woodlands Padula WV, Heru S, Campbell JD. Using Insurance for Facial Gender Confirming Surgery or "FFS" Dr. Ramineni is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with over 15 years of experience. 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. Once you've identified a surgeon who takes your insurance, ask them to submit a preauthorization. FFS may include a brow lift, cheek augmentation, rhinoplasty, and lip augmentation. As an example, the typical timeline for our Group B and C patients is as follows: 1. Plastic surgery on the face. Although your FFS may not be covered by your insurance company its definitely worth doing the research. 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. Your insurance might have a requirement about length of time in care with them, or degree level. A surgeon who takes your insurance, hopefully in-network or willing to do the legwork of a single case agreement, with whom you are ready to move forward in planning surgery. Publications See a list of publications about facial feminization by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine. I can't guarantee that you'll achieve coverage, but depending on how your insurance benefits are regulated and the support resources you have access to, it's definitely worth trying. To filter results, enter information and 'click search icon' and/or select from the dropdown lists. In this work, we detailed our institutional experience on obtaining insurance coverage for FFS. The analysis was done by identifying individual steps involved in the insurance process (Fig. Before getting into the nitty gritty details, let me be real with you, and let me be hopeful. 1). Requiring letters from therapists and physicians appeals to some hospitals, surgeons, and care providers, who may look at this system as legally defensible if necessary. 3. Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) | University of Miami Health System As many professions say, past performance does not guarantee future results. However, the tide of change is beginning to roll in- often where Medicaid begins, private plans will be forced to follow, so the clear coverage in California and New York bodes well for everyone. Dr. Mangubat specializes in Top Surgery, Breast Augmentation and Body Sculpting, Gender Confirming Facial Surgery and Hair Grafting. Try your local trans advocacy groups, LGBTI legal services, support group, etc. Her surgery was performed by a craniofacial surgical team called the FACIALTEAM. Health Insurance Utilizing coverage under a health insurance plan is often the most affordable way to pay for FFS. The total time from initial consultation to definitive authorization decision for Group A was 1.1 0.2 months (Fig. Our surgeons specialize in a variety of facial feminization procedures, such as forehead reduction, jaw contouring, and chin surgery. And some health insurance plans do cover the costs associated with facial feminization surgery procedures, so we recommend contacting your insurance provider to find out what is and is not covered under your current plan. See the list at the end of this article for surgeons who will accept some form of insurance benefits directly.What makes someone a FGCS surgeon anyway? Months required for definitive insurance authorization decisions for FFS. 3). Starbucks offers expanded benefits for trans people Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) | Gender Affirming Health Program This work was supported by the Bernard G. Sarnat Endowment for Craniofacial Biology (JCL) and the Jean Perkins Foundation (JCL). Every insurance company is "difficult" to work with. (See table 2, Supplemental Digital Content 2, which displays the total time and cost of the insurance approval process per group. Best Rated Facial Feminization Surgeon (FFS) in the World How Much Does Facial Feminization Surgery Cost? | RealSelf P. Daniel Knott, MD, and Andrea Park, MD from the UCSF Facial Plastic Surgery practice in the Division of Head & Neck Surgery. Feminizing surgery - Mayo Clinic Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) | Johns Hopkins Medicine *, Time and cost of the insurance approval process for FFS. Gender-Affirmation Surgery | Transgender Surgery | The University of 5. Highly Distinguished Facial Surgeon In Chicago Dr. Amir Dorafshar, MD is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with fellowship training in craniofacial surgery who specializes in gender-affirming facial surgery. Group B, consisting only of private insurance plans, are processes that initially resulted in denial, thereby requiring multi-level appeals. N Engl J Med. a support group of people dealing with similar issues to you to help keep up your strength and spirits throughout planning and recovery. The Case For Facial Feminization Surgery - BuzzFeed News In contrast to Group A, patients who required significant efforts in the form of multi-level appeals, peer-to-peer reviews, and IMRs were designated Groups B and C, depending on ultimate approval versus denial as the outcomes, respectively. Facial feminization surgery, or FFS, describes a set of complex procedures designed to "feminize" the face. 1. Read your cover in detail and find out the following: Second, find out if yourCertificate of Coveragehas any inclusions (or exclusions) around transgender care. Thirdly, it is likely that the current work underestimated the total cost of the insurance approval process, as we could not quantify the cost of surgery cancelations, additional clinic visits, and unquantifiable administrative time. She has a special interest in Facial Feminization and is also highly proficient in Vaginoplasty and Top Surgery. Facial Feminization Surgery Timeline - Gender Confirmation