Getting surgery while still on parents insurance - confused

[shortking23]

Hello - 

 

Im non-binary and am planning on getting gender affirming surgery, but I haven’t told my parents yet and I honestly don’t want to unless I have to. My worry is about the insurance. Im a legal adult but I am still covered under my parents insurance. 

 

If I have surgery, will my parents be able to access the information about it because they’re the card holders of the insurance? I have united if that makes a difference. I am young and I don’t really know how insurance works, with the claims and benefits and all that jazz. 
 

My parents don’t really “get” what it means to identify as trans or non-binary, so I’d rather not tell them that I identify as both, lol. 
 

Has anyone had a similar experience? Where you had to hide your surgery / identity from your parents? Any insight?

 

if anyone even has any general knowledge of insurance and how all that stuff works that would be helpful too!

thanks y’all :)

[Carolyn Marie]

Hello, Shortking and welcome to Trans Pulse.  So, as far as i understand the rules, since you are an adult your doctors cannot divulge your medical information to your parents.  So you can see a doctor for anything, and get any treatment, and they should not find out.

 

Where it gets complicated is with their (and your) insurance policy.  The insurance company is required to provide a monthly or quarterly summary of benefits used.  It might not be so detailed that it would indicate what specific treatment you received, but it most likely would indicate in general terms that x-amount was used for outpatient care, or inpatient care, or surgical care.  In addition, if there are co-pays for anything, you or your parents would be responsible for paying them, and again they would find that out.

 

If you have your own medical insurance card, I would call the insurance company and ask them those questions.  It's best if you hear it directly from the company.  The last thing I'll say is this; I don't think you should keep this from your parents if you go ahead with the surgery.  I don't think it's very fair to ask them to be responsible for your care, by providing insurance for you under their policy, and keep them in the dark about something this important.  Adult or not, you are their offspring, and they deserve to know what's going on with you, especially of that serious a nature.  If they found out you had major surgery w/o telling them, I think repairing the damage to your relationship could take a very long time.

 

Carolyn Marie