[janmcn]

All the people I know that had sex change operations did so at a much younger age, 30's or 40's, rather than wait until after age 65 to make this radical change. If the OP wants to make the change now, so be it. I hope he/she made their wishes known to his/her congressman.

Personally, I believe more medicare dollars should be invested in Alzheimer's and other dementia related illnesses than sex change operations.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

OK...I sometimes assume that folks get my mocking...

Guess what kids...this is insignificant...we have real problems....banks too big to regulate...potential wars with North Korea and Iran....a huge division in public trust of their elected leaders...

Is sexual reassignment really an issue...we waste more money on weapons systems that even generals on government-funded golf courses mock.

Imperial Rome figured out that the key to power was "Lets you and him fight." Don't be played by sideshow acts...save your indignation for those who reach deep in your pockets...not the 17 folks who might get this surgery. Really, figure out the important sentence.

I agree for the most part with what you say above and usually think about the same thing when politician start talking about cutting social security increases. We came up with hundreds of billions $$$ to bail out the banks but need to take food out of the mouths of people that worked hard their whole lives.

[billethkid]

the answer is unequivically no....under any circumstances.

Slightly off topic but ditto for all the boner meds that ARE covered by medicare!!!.

btk

[Villages PL]

There's a mental disorder called Apotemnophilia: People with this mental condition want to have perfectly good limbs amputated. Should medicare pay for this too? And how is this any different than a man wanting to have his ***** removed? Are they not both mental disorders?

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by billethkid

the answer is unequivically no....under any circumstances.

Slightly off topic but ditto for all the boner meds that ARE covered by medicare!!!.

btk

Good point and I don't think it's off-topic. Those meds and many other hormonal ones would need to be covered by Medicare to alter the physiological functions involved.

I'm surprised no one above has commented on the aspect of spending on sex change surgery and after treatment while cutting other standard medical treatment reimbursements to the point of making primary care drs. unable to stay solvent in private practice.....a big topic here in TV since 85%+ of TVRH patients are Medicare and reimbursements are already extremely low.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

There's a mental disorder called Apotemnophilia: People with this mental condition want to have perfectly good limbs amputated. Should medicare pay for this too? And how is this any different than a man wanting to have his ***** removed? Are they not both mental disorders?

If that doesn't bring home the point, I don't know what would!

[Hal :-)]

My wife was a Neonatal RN and I recall her saying that sometimes the doctor had to make the sexual determination decision. Something called Ambiguous Genitalia and they decided the sex. Maybe they made mistakes.

I really wish people could be more open-minded in our divisive society.

[mickey100]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

OK...I sometimes assume that folks get my mocking...

Guess what kids...this is insignificant...we have real problems....banks too big to regulate...potential wars with North Korea and Iran....a huge division in public trust of their elected leaders...

Is sexual reassignment really an issue...we waste more money on weapons systems that even generals on government-funded golf courses mock.

Imperial Rome figured out that the key to power was "Lets you and him fight." Don't be played by sideshow acts...save your indignation for those who reach deep in your pockets...not the 17 folks who might get this surgery. Really, figure out the important sentence.

[redwitch]

Originally Posted by Hal :-)

My wife was a Neonatal RN and I recall her saying that sometimes the doctor had to make the sexual determination decision. Something called Ambiguous Genitalia and they decided the sex. Maybe they made mistakes.

I really wish people could be more open-minded in our divisive society.

Thank you, Hal. Not just a bit more open-minded but a heck a lot kinder!

A dear friend of mine had transgender surgery. It was not easy for her. As a matter of fact, it was extremely painful and required several surgeries. This is not something done lightly; not by the patient, not by the surgeon. Rather, the individual has to have extensive psychotherapy, must live in their "chosen" gender for one year before any surgery or hormonal therapy will be done. This is not someone asking for an amputation because of a mental illness. This is someone asking for a chance of happiness by having their body fit their mindset.

So, my response is a resounding yes! I could never begrudge another human the right to have the life that was deemed right by not only themselves but also the specialists who would be performing these surgeries and working with these patients on a daily basis. Happiness is hard to find in this world. Some of us have been far luckier than others in this regard. Why should be begrudge someone the joy of being able to live in their own skin?

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by Hal :-)

My wife was a Neonatal RN and I recall her saying that sometimes the doctor had to make the sexual determination decision. Something called Ambiguous Genitalia and they decided the sex. Maybe they made mistakes.

I really wish people could be more open-minded in our divisive society.

We probably would be more open minded if they would stay out of our pockets! Seniors are scrambling for chemotherapy treatments because of the sequestor - people should get sex change operations on our dime????
Doesn't make sense to me - especially if we are talking about medicare. You lived this long (65) the way you are, you can probably make it to the end of the road in the same body.

[Mack184]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

Good point and I don't think it's off-topic. Those meds and many other hormonal ones would need to be covered by Medicare to alter the physiological functions involved.

I'm surprised no one above has commented on the aspect of spending on sex change surgery and after treatment while cutting other standard medical treatment reimbursements to the point of making primary care drs. unable to stay solvent in private practice.....a big topic here in TV since 85%+ of TVRH patients are Medicare and reimbursements are already extremely low.

Agree...Agree..Agree...And let's add to this the jam that TVRH is in with fully 88% of it's entire revenue stream coming from Medicare. Those who are constantly finding fault with the hospital have to understand that the hosptial is being faced with handling more and more chronically ill people with ever-decreasing medicare reimbursements and no real alternative revenue streams to make up the difference.

The average hospital gets about 38% of it's revenue stream from medicare. TVRH has very little opportunity to benefit from private insurance or cash-paid elective surgeries. They are in a deep bind that's not of their own making and it's only going to get worse as time goes on.

[perrjojo]

I worked with "Michael" and he decided he wanted to be "Michelle". After becoming Michelle; Michelle became engaged to a man but then decided that she was lesbian and took a female lover. When that didn't work out Michele then had surgery to become Michael again. I promise that I am not making this up. The real tragedy in this is that Michael/Michelle had a 12 year old son. I think Michael/Michelle was never a happy person and left many unhappy people in his quest for identity.

[blueash]

Imagine waking one morning to find you had the wrong sex organs. Imagine the distress and even some revulsion, and the immense yearning to have the correct body parts back where they belong. And waking every day of your life with this wrongness, this distress, the self rejection and confusion. And imagine that it can be partially fixed which will involve incredible personal psychological stress and multiple surgeries and drugs. Imagine that your friends may turn against you, your employer fire you, your family reject you. But you have the wrong genitalia and want it made right. Compassion anyone? Taking time to understand the problem from a bit outside your own experience and preconceived notions, please?

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by blueash

Imagine waking one morning to find you had the wrong sex organs. Imagine the distress and even some revulsion, and the immense yearning to have the correct body parts back where they belong. And waking every day of your life with this wrongness, this distress, the self rejection and confusion. And imagine that it can be partially fixed which will involve incredible personal psychological stress and multiple surgeries and drugs. Imagine that your friends may turn against you, your employer fire you, your family reject you. But you have the wrong genitalia and want it made right. Compassion anyone? Taking time to understand the problem from a bit outside your own experience and preconceived notions, please?

Yes. Definitely, the gender-conflicted people need and deserve compassion.

And imagine wanting your sex organs amputated and internally disconnected and removed. Imagine wanting your ears or nose cut off or eyes taken out, and having your ear canals or nasal or eye openings surgically closed up. Should Medicare and Medicaid pay for that kind of self mutilation too?

Should Medicare and Medicaid provide and pay for a service dog and pay for an assisted living facility for the person who purposely had their eyes removed and is now blind?

Or should Medicaid and SSI pay tuition at a school for the deaf for a teenager "who woke up one morning to find he had the wrong ears" and had them and the canals removed and sewn shut?

Are there to be no boundaries to what individuals demand that taxpayers pay for, when it's the individual's choice to maim themselves as a way of making themselves happy?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

The word is that the CIA is sending her on a secret mission to North Korea....that poor little dictator.

Briefly going off topic ....
I do hope that Voldemorte can get things sorted out for us in North Korea.