Question about payments and options?

[Guest becoming_i]

This is something I've never understood about SRS. I get that it is a cosmetic surgery, it's a choice and therefor not like a medical emergency. So my question is, are there no options but to pay in full and up-front with these surgeries? I've always heard others say "when I can afford it", and my thoughts are always "when can anyone afford surgery, any surgery?" as procedures and hospital stays are generally outrageous no matter what. Obviously a lot of uninsured or under-insured patients receive surgeries and such, and the deal is that they make payments. Are payments not an option for SRS? If not, why not? Are there never any other options for payment? What about credit? What about a loan? Anything that won't require a gigantic lump sum on the spot?

Can anyone fill me in here? Why is talk always about saving up and never about affording payments?

[Drea]

For one, surgery is not something that can be used as collateral for a loan (i.e. it can't be repossessed if you don't play on the loans). Thus one can not obtain a loan for it like one would for getting a car, house, etc.

This means any credit has to take the form of a personal loan or other form of unsecured credit (such as credit cards). There is/are someplace(s) that offer surgery loans, but those are unsecured loans as well. Unsecured debt in any form tends to be more expensive to carry that secured debt, but it is certainly possible.

The fact is that there are lots of folks that use credit for part or all of their surgery. Even those who do use credit for part are going to be saving for the other part.

To use credit however, especially unescured credit, one has to have a good enough credit history and/or the income to support that debt. Thus it is not a viable option for some due to their employment status, income level, or poor credit history. Given the number of trans who have lost jobs, gotten divorced, or are having trouble getting a job, getting credit is not a practical option.

In all fairness too, there are some who don't want to use credit. Who don't want to take on any debt so will save for it even if they have the option to use credit.

[Guest Donna Jean]

For one, surgery is not something that can be used as collateral for a loan (i.e. it can't be repossessed if you don't play on the loans).

LOL...Drea....that puts a really weird picture in my head.......

Dee Jay

[Guest JaniceW]

I'm here to take your vagina. Oh don't worry I'm from the credit company. Yes that is a funny picture. lol

One correction I owuld make is the use of "cosmetic" surgery. The issue of coverage for payment being unavailable is NOT due to it being considered cosmetic, but rather that most insurance policies have a specific exclusion for "gender altering procedures."

Also you can talk to the surgeon that you select to do your surgery and they may have financing options available. You just have to remember the old quote about banks and their credit policies, "A bank is an institution that will lend you an umbrella when it is sunny and ask for it back when it starts to rain." So credit isn;t always available to the folks who need it the most.

[Guest BeckyTG]

Just take whatever payment you can afford and start making those payments into a special savings account. You can even set up an automatic deduction from your checking account every month.

When I look at hospitalization and overall medical costs, it doesn't look to me like gender surgery falls into the "outrageously expensive" medical expenses category. When you consider how extensive the surgery is and look at the length of the hospital stay, I think it's a relative bargain.

The operation is about the same as buying a very modest new car. I've seen a number of people saying how they could never afford surgery, yet were driving a reasonably new car that cost more new than the surgery would have.

The first step is to realize and believe that it *is* possible to save up the money, because it is for most people, if you take long enough to do it.

There are a number of ways this can be done, if only you believe in the objective and plan to achieve it. Research companies who have favorable medical coverage and get a job with one of them. This is another way this can be done.

This is not impossible and it is not out of reach. If you want something bad enough, there's always a way to get it.

[Guest becoming_i]

Just take whatever payment you can afford and start making those payments into a special savings account. You can even set up an automatic deduction from your checking account every month.

When I look at hospitalization and overall medical costs, it doesn't look to me like gender surgery falls into the "outrageously expensive" medical expenses category. When you consider how extensive the surgery is and look at the length of the hospital stay, I think it's a relative bargain.

The operation is about the same as buying a very modest new car. I've seen a number of people saying how they could never afford surgery, yet were driving a reasonably new car that cost more new than the surgery would have.

The first step is to realize and believe that it *is* possible to save up the money, because it is for most people, if you take long enough to do it.

There are a number of ways this can be done, if only you believe in the objective and plan to achieve it. Research companies who have favorable medical coverage and get a job with one of them. This is another way this can be done.

This is not impossible and it is not out of reach. If you want something bad enough, there's always a way to get it.

But... I don't think most people save up the entire amount of a modest new car before they're in the market to buy. If everybody did that, you'd see a lot less people driving around in a new car. Anyone can buy a new car these days, you can make tiny payments if you want, and that's what they bank probably would prefer you do anyway. I guess I'm not seeing the benefit to saving first, other than to avoid possibly more cost like in interest.

Another reason I might not have the most confidence in saving is that it has never been a practice in my family. For years, I watch my parents live basically paycheck to paycheck even though my farther made a very decent wage simply because the cost of living is so high these days, with gas prices out the roof, utilities going up, groceries going up, etc. On most jobs salary a single person can barely afford to live and pay rent, much less put any substantial amount towards something very expensive that they simply want, because it would have to takes years, and years that in many cases just serve to prolong and delay us from moving on and living normal lives.

[Guest Donna Jean]

.

All that I can say about this is .......

If SRS is really in your future.....

You will find a way to get it done.....

Period...

Dee Jay