How Do I Find An Hrt Provider To Begin With
One way to start is by asking your general practitioner for a referral to an HRT provider. Alex Iantaffi, a licensed marriage and family therapist, host of the Gender Stories podcast and co-author of the book How to Understand Your Gender: A Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are, recommended connecting with your local trans community online. People in your area can provide much-needed information as to who your local competent providers are. Most major American cities have queer/trans community Facebook groups, with Queer Exchange being the most prominent format. There are also online guides and databases of providers, including Transgender Care Listings, MyTransHealth, and Trans in the South. Alternatively, you can go straight to an endocrinologist or other HRT provider, like Planned Parenthood.
Whatever route you choose, Iantaffi recommends taking some time to prepare interview questions for a potential provider to determine whether theyre the right choice for you. If it feels too unsettling to talk with your provider alone, bring along someone you trust and who is able to advocate for you, should they need to, Iantaffi added.
Lgbtq Health Care Services
NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to empowering Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer New Yorkers to live the healthiest life possible. Our health system provides responsive, compassionate, and respectful care in a welcoming environment.
During the COVID-19 emergency, we are here for you! If you need urgent sexual or reproductive services, LGBTQ affirming care, or mental health support, our Pride Health Centers are here to help. To access services, call 212-925-5000 and press 3 after the language prompt to speak with a nurse. Initial screenings are all done over the phone. To learn more, click here.
How We Care For You
NYC Health + Hospitals was the first U.S. public health care system to mandate LGBTQ training for all staff members in 2011.
Watch videos on LGBTQ Healthcare
Twenty-three of our facilities have earned the Human Rights Campaign Foundations designation, Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality in 2019. To earn this, facilities must train staff in LGBTQ health care, have LGBTQ-responsive policies, and make those policies available to the public and staff.
To better serve the health care needs of the LGBTQ community, NYC Health + Hospitals has six Pride Health Centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Option : The Tom Waddell Standards
The Tom Waddell Standards govern hormone therapy and give a general overview of transgender health concerns. This was initially designed by Dr. Tom Waddell who worked in the free/low-income clinics of San Francisco and this was developed with all transsexual people in mind. Today, there are a few clinics other than homeless clinics that provide services to transsexual people under the Tom Waddell system.
I started my hormone replacement therapy at a clinic using the Tom Waddell system without even being aware of it. I started my HRT in November 2007 at Dr. Hunter Hammill’s office in Houston, Texas with no therapist requirement imposed on me. It was however a requirement that I attend a few support group meetings in the Houston area which I have before my appointment.
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Services May Be Denied For Different Reasons And You Have Appeal Rights For These Denials
Medical Necessity. Insurers may deny services as not medically necessary through their utilization review process. Insurers use clinical review criteria which may not be the same among insurers, to make these determinations. Insurers must submit their clinical review criteria for the treatment of gender dysphoria to the State for review and approval, and the criteria must be evidence-based, peer reviewed, and age-appropriate.
Out-of-Network Provider. You may ask for your care to be provided by an out-of-network provider because there is no in-network provider with the training and experience to meet your health care needs or because your insurer cant cover the treatment you requested in-network but will cover a similar treatment . These denials will start out in your insurers grievance process.
Off-Formulary Prescription Drugs. You may request coverage of a prescription drug that is not on your insurers formulary , and your insurer must have an appeal process for these denials.
Why Replacing Testosterone Isnt Enough
While testosterone replacement is the cornerstone of our HRT for men in New York NY, it is by no means the only hormone we target in our efforts to relieve your andropause symptoms for two very important reasons.
- While low testosterone is behind most andropause symptoms, other hormones can also exacerbate symptoms. To provide maximum relief, all relevant hormones must be addressed.
- Serious health risks can result from treating testosterone in a vacuum. For example, some substandard treatment programs cause men to you experience new and uncomfortable symptoms like breast swelling and tenderness by providing too much testosterone and failing to test for estrogen. Others put all patients on estrogen blockers even if they dont need them, which is also unhealthy.
At Renew Youth, we provide treatments designed to create optimal levels of all vital hormones, so our HRT for men in New York NY not only improves your symptoms but also safeguards your health.
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How Do I Offer Gender Affirming Care Using The Informed Consent Model
In the Informed Consent Model, the focus is on obtaining informed consent as the threshold for the initiation of hormone therapy in a multidisciplinary, harm-reduction environment. Less emphasis is placed on the provision of mental health care until the patient requests it, unless significant mental health concerns are identified that would need to be addressed before hormone prescription.
Learn More About Testosterone Injections In New York Ny Today
Are you interested in learning more about the Renew Youth treatment protocol? Please dont hesitate to contact us online or by phone. Well be happy to answer your questions and pair you with a Renew Youth doctor in your local area when youre ready to begin treatment with testosterone injections in New York NY.
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East Midtown Nyc Hormone Replacement Therapy For Men And Women
Hormone Replacement Therapy in Midtown East NYC : Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment provided at Grand Central Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for symptoms that stem from hormonal imbalances. Hormone replacement therapy keeps hormone levels at a consistent level throughout the day. Hormone replacement therapy contain hormones identical to those that are found in the human body. Studies have shown that bio-identical hormones have fewer side effects than synthetic hormones.
How Can Hrt Affect Mental Health
Because of the complexity of hormones and the lack of research about many aspects of trans health care, most providers can only offer observational insights, and even then, these observations are highly variable. As a therapist, I have witnessed a broad range of reactions to HRT, said Iantaffi. There are stereotypes, such as testosterone making people angrier. These seem to be often based more on gender stereotypes than reality. In fact, several people feel more mellow when on testosterone. Generally, people feel more settled and confident in their own gender identity and expression when they go on HRT, and, often, their mental health improves.
Safer takes care to differentiate between treatment for gender dysphoria and treatment for potentially related mental health issues. Transgender treatment is not a mental health concern its dealing with people where theres a disconnect between gender identity and some of the visible anatomy and were using hormones to change the body that you can see to match the gender identity, said Safer.
The mental health concerns that are associated with transgender people seem to mostly relate to not being treated or being neglected by the medical establishment, said Safer. The treatment heavily ends up being legitimately mental health in the sense that we actually take care of people, were respectful and thoughtful about their circumstances.
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Appealing Your Medical Necessity Or Out
Denial notice. If your treatment is denied, your insurer must notify you in writing, and by telephone for urgent cases, unless you request electronic notification. If you dont get a notice, file a complaint with DFS.
Timeframes. You have 180 days to appeal with your insurer.
Clinical Review Criteria. You have a right to get a copy of the clinical review criteria your insurer used to make its decision from your insurer at any time.
Out-of-Network Provider Appeal . Your doctor must send a written statement to your insurer that the in-network providers recommended by your insurer do not have the training and experience to meet your health care needs and recommend an out-of-network provider with the training and experience to meet your health care needs who is able to provide the service.
Out-of-Network Provider Appeal . Your doctor must send a written statement to your insurer that the out-of-network service is materially different from the health service the insurer approved and provide two documents of medical evidence that: the out-of-network service is likely to be more clinically beneficial than the in-network service your insurer recommended and the risk would not be increased over the in-network health service.
Hormone Replacement Therapy At Grand Central Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy comes in oral, topical and pellet forms. The therapy has many advantages over other hormone therapies with the most notable difference being the consistent administration of the hormone. This type of hormone therapy prevents the high up and down effects patients often experience with creams and pills.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is unique to each patients symptoms. While most of the patients at our Midtown East pain clinic will report some symptom resolution in as little as two to four weeks, a full optimization can take up to six months. Our team of medical professionals customizes the therapy to meet each patients specific needs.
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Suicide Prevention And Crisis Intervention
You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 273-8255 to get confidential support, 24 hours a day.
Young people ages 13 to 24 can call the Trevor Project LGBT Lifeline at 488-7386, 24 hours a day.
The Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline, at 843-4564, provides peer support for coming out, bullying and other issues. Call Monday to Friday, 4 PM to midnight, or on Saturday, noon to 5 PM.
The Trans Lifeline, at 565-8860, provides peer support for transgender people in crisis. This line is staffed by transgender and gender nonconforming volunteers and has varying hours.
The Importance Of Patient
NYU Langone Health has been certified for 7 consecutive yearswith a score of 100 percentby the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Healthcare Equality Index Report, which evaluates the work of medical facilities in providing equal healthcare access to LGBTQ+ Americans. One factor in that success is the centers patient-centered approach to transgender care.
In some practices, patients can walk into the office and have someone use the wrong pronoun, Dr. Glodowski says. The doctor might see them briefly, write a prescription, and thats basically it. At NYU Langone, everyone from the receptionists to the medical assistants to the physicians have been trained to be sensitive to gender identity. I spend 40 minutes with each new patient, and 20 minutes with any follow-ups. In addition, we have one clinic a week specifically dedicated to gender-affirming hormone therapy.
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When You Or Your Provider Submit A Claim To Your Insurer
Your insurer is required to send you an explanation of benefits form when it does not pay your claim in full. The explanation of benefits must include the following information.
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Provider name. |
Amount your insurer will pay after deductible, copayments, or coinsurance. |
Explanation of any denial or reason for not paying the full amount. |
Insurers telephone number and information on how to appeal any denial of benefits. |
Why Use Human Growth Hormone
Human Growth Hormone is secreted from the pituitary gland and is one of the most important hormones in the endocrine system. HGH is a complex protein molecule of 191 amino acids linked in a specific sequence. It is secreted in pulses by the pituitary gland and is most active during the night as you sleep and during heavy exercise. These HGH pulses vary between a low of 10 during the day and up to 50 at night. Children are resilient and energetic because they secrete HGH in high levels in order to grow, and Endocrine Physicians have prescribed HGH for children who needed to boost their growth. Growth Hormone deficiencies occur in adults because HGH declines significantly after the age of 30 and culminates in an almost 80% decline by the time you reach the age of 60. As the secretion of HGH declines, a hormone imbalance or deficiency occurs especially during the stages of life known as menopause in women and andropause or male menopause in men. Many Age Management Physicians and Anti-Aging Medicine doctors believe you age because your hormones decline and HGH is instrumental in maintaining and healing the body. Using HGH, you can replace lost or low levels of natural growth hormone and restore the natural balance of your hormones. This is known as hormone optimization.
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Aging & Bioidentical Hormones
Perimenopause is usually the first phase of aging that can cause women to notice symptoms of hormone decline. Because all women are different, this phase can occur as early as the late twenties or as late as the early fifties. Perimenopause is the phase that occurs before menopause, and it begins when the ovaries begin to produce reduced levels of estrogen and progesterone. Perimenopause can last from 3 to 7 years, and during this time, women may experience symptoms that include irregular periods, amenorrhea, mood swings, migraines, acne, bloating, water retention, weight gain, increased PMS symptoms, breast tenderness, headaches, and infertility.
Menopause and Perimenopause specialists can help women to alleviate the symptoms of Perimenopause and menopause. Women can reduce symptoms and obtain great benefits from rebalancing their hormones. Some of the benefits that women can achieve from balancing estrogen and progesterone levels may include:
- Reduced Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
- Regular Periods
- Improved Sexual Function
- More Energy
Can Growth Hormone Slow Down The Aging Process
HGH Replacement Therapy and Aging The decline in HGH levels as measured by IGF-1 levels in the blood correlates with age-related changes seen in adult men and women. The signs and symptoms of HGH deficiency include a loss of lean muscle, increase in body fat, loss of libido, bone loss, loss of energy and vitality, memory loss, sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and inability to focus, increased bad cholesterol, inability to recover from exercise, dry hair, wrinkling of the skin, lethargy and depression. With bio-identical hormone replacement using injectable HGH many of these symptoms can be alleviated. Although real Growth Hormone or Somatropin is not specifically prescribed for anti-aging purposes, the potential health benefits of using HGH in a physician-supervised HRT program to help treat symptoms of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency , Menopause, Andropause have been clinically proven. Anti-Aging Doctors, Age Management Physicians and Endocrine specialists can test your HGH levels, diagnose and treat growth hormone deficiency. Learn how to get HGH prescribed by your doctor. Buy prescription HGH online.
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Timeframes For Insurers To Make Medical Necessity And Out
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72 hours of receipt of your request for treatment. |
72 hours of receipt of your request for treatment. |
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Pre-Service for care you have not received yet |
3 business days of receipt of necessary information or 60 days if no information is received. Your insurer must ask for any information within 3 business days of receiving your preauthorization request, and you and your provider have 45 days to send the information. |
15 days of receipt of necessary information or 60 days if no is information received. Your insurer must ask for any information within 15 days of receiving your request, and you and your provider have 45 days to send the information. |
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Concurrent for an ongoing course of treatment |
1 business day of receipt of necessary information or 60 days if no information is received. Your insurer must ask for any necessary information within 1 business day, and you and your provider have 45 days to send the information. |
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Post-Service for care you received |
30 days of receipt of necessary information or 60 days if no information is received. Your insurer must ask for any information within 30 days, and you and your provider have 45 days to send the information. |
30 days of receipt of necessary information or 60 days if no is information received. Your insurer must ask for any information within 30 days, and you and your provider have 45 days to send the information. |
Will I Always Have To Take Hormones
Yes, you will need to take hormones for the rest of your life if you want to maintain the feminising effects of oestrogen or the masculinising effects of testosterone.If, at any stage, you decide to have your testes or your ovaries removed by surgery: Your dose of hormones will usually be reduced but it should still be enough to produce the effects that you need and to keep you well, and to protect you against osteoporosis as you get older, and If you are still on hormone blockers, you will stop taking them altogether.
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