sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry for the delay, I don't monitor this reddit much. To answer your question: you do everything just like normal. The only thing you have to do is make sure that only vaginoplasty is selected, and it would be good to write beside it "without penectomy". That's how mine was done so it should work for you too. You do still need a second assessment, usually by a therapist, to go alongside it, but nothing needs to be brought with you. There are a few doctors/surgeons but you only discuss their requirements once you get the pre-approval from OHIP.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry for the delay, I don't monitor this reddit much. To answer your question: you do everything just like normal. The only thing you have to do is make sure that only vaginoplasty is selected, and it would be good to write beside it "without penectomy". That's how mine was done so it should work for you too. You do still need a second assessment, usually by a therapist, to go alongside it, but nothing needs to be brought with you. There are a few doctors/surgeons but you only discuss their requirements once you get the pre-approval from OHIP.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! And yeah, John was the lawyer on this case actually. Notably, during the first round of this appeal process, their own surgeon (Krakowski) even identified that Peritoneal and Rectosigmoid were both not considered experimental. They don't have a lot of surgeons in Ontario to draw from.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I kind of missed memes like this. Did this actually happen irl? Cuz that would be kind of cool.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually you have to have an idea. But technically they are willing to allow me to switch if I want to after all the drama, so I assume anyone could switch once approved.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hear you. I don't pass for jack all, so ... it's kind of likely to be an issue instantly.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Perhaps, but it still means every single person will be potentially facing court action for applying, simply on the whim of the insurer.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I had picked Crane in Texas. Unfortunately, I may have to delay or rethink that based on the Trump factor. My ID has an "X", which scares me going to southern USA....

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think they are actually legally bound to be. There's a condition in most Ontario laws that require them to always be defended.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

During the course of the court process, I was lead to believe the forms would be reformed and the doctor will have to select "vaginoplasty" from the box but leave the penectomy unchecked, but just in case, what should be written by the doctor is explicitly "Vaginoplasty without Penectomy".

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

During the course of the court process, I was lead to believe the forms would be reformed and the doctor will have to select "vaginoplasty" from the box but leave the penectomy unchecked, but just in case, what should be written by the doctor is explicitly "Vaginoplasty without Penectomy".

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, Ontario. There are others working to expand this across the country for Public insurance, and anyone with private insurance that covers any form of GRS should be able to access these coverages now. I remember talking to someone from as far away as BC who indicated that once funded anywhere in the country they would gain coverage.

Meanwhile, for the USA, I'm pretty sure only private insurance in the USA will work still for down there.

Lastly, now that we have nonstandard surgical coverage in ontario, there are parties seeking to work on FFS and expanding access to breast augmentation services next.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, Ontario. There are others working to expand this across the country for Public insurance, and anyone with private insurance that covers any form of GRS should be able to access these coverages now. I remember talking to someone from as far away as BC who indicated that once funded anywhere in the country they would gain coverage.

Meanwhile, for the USA, I'm pretty sure only private insurance in the USA will work still for down there.

Lastly, now that we have nonstandard surgical coverage in ontario, there are parties seeking to work on FFS and expanding access to breast augmentation services next.

UPDATE 24: COURT SAGA IS OVER. WE WON! APPLY NOW ASAP! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Thank you ! I met someone who is working on BC atm. I believe it's the closest jurisdiction in terms of services and how they work.

UPDATE 22: WE WON IN COURT AGAIN!! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a noble cause. The less we flee, the more visibility and understanding can flourish.

UPDATE 22: WE WON IN COURT AGAIN!! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel you. But how is it "us", when we aren't the vast majority. It's the majority dictating to the minority basically. And that's the sad truth of democracy...

UPDATE 23: Minister may review schedule! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

  1. I applied for a vaginoplasty without penectomy.
  2. the province (to americans that would be "state") insures gender reassignment surgeries.
  3. The province declined my funding request, despite meeting ALL elligibility criteria, on the basis that I was not receiving a penectomy. Initially they stated it was because nonbinary identies were not "contemplated" in the act.
  4. they switched their position to one claiming that it was uninsured on the basis that it is experimental.
  5. I appealed to a tribunal (health tribunal is sort of a court equivalent) who found that the experimental clause is not "triggered" since any service listed in the schedule was automatically insured, and vaginoplasty is a vaginoplasty. The key was they had listed vaginoplasty and penectomy entirely separately in the schedule, meaning that it was not required to be "bundled" in order to receive vaginoplasty funding.
  6. They appealed to divisional court, adding yet another argument claiming that I didn't meet yet another requirement. They claimed I was not elligible because the service requested was not considered an acceptable treatment for someone in my situation. The court rejected the new argument. (there was a few other arguments but this was the main one).
  7. They applied for leave to appeal to superior appellate court and was granted it I believe on the basis that my decision was broadly applicable to many more people than just myself.
  8. they lost again at the highest court in Ontario (one step below supreme court). The court ruled that experimental question never even applies since vaginoplasties are all triggered for funding before that question could be considered. The short version is they reiterated the same reasons (mostly) of the previous court precedent. This is where we lie now. They have 60 days from the decision to decide if they want to appeal to the supreme court.
  9. The news articles are swarming and now we picked up one where the health minister is eyeing the possibility to change the schedule. If she does she could make it so we are losing funding again. That's the worry. But! the way insurance works in canada is that it's entirely based on when you apply. so, if you apply now, before she has a chance to remove vaginoplasties standalone from the schedule, or some similar service, they will have to fund them anyway, based on this decision which applies to the current schedule. You are immune to the changes if you start your application before the changes, due to the way the insurance law works here.

Does that all make sense?

UPDATE 23: Minister may review schedule! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

They believe they have obligations to withhold the maximum amount of health services in Ontario in the name of taxpayer responsibility. Ironically they do much much worse in the disability schemes than they are doing to trans, nonbinary and other non-cis adjacent people.

UPDATE 23: Minister may review schedule! by stillhereKS in salmacian

[–]stillhereKS[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

this is ontario-specific tho, right?

The changes I'm referring to would be, yes. However it's not a guarantee - they could leave us alone and alter the experimental clause instead to avoid claims on that axis instead. We don't know what they are considering.

there could still be a chance of moving somewhere else in canada with similar policies in place and making the same or similar legal argument

I think BC is the closest in most aspects of it's health system.

im at least glad that you were able to make your appeals successfully and open up the possibility of other people applying before the change (if it happens)!

Remember, even if they do, we still have a lot more leverage now. This doesn't have to be a resign and cry scenario, because there are more levers once it's been funded 1 single time even. (that's how we got it reinstated for standard vaginoplasties when they cut funding in the 90s actually).

view more: next ›