Nationwide Estimates of Gender-Affirming Chest Reconstruction in the United States, 2016-2019
Nationwide Estimates of Gender-Affirming Chest Reconstruction in the United States, 2016-2019
Only 5.5% of Cases were Self-Pay
By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
The transgender narrative is quickly replacing news on COVID-19 and social media is loading up on images of men who have undergone breast augmentation to look more like women. These main retain the penis and testicles and have full male sexual function. Conversely, women changing to men opt for elective mastectomy of normal breast tissue. Who is paying for all of this? Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, introduced in 2016, increased access to gender-affirming surgeries for transgender and gender diverse individuals.
Das et al reported from a nationwide sample over 2016 to 2019. They found: “A weighted estimate of 21,293 encounters for chest reconstruction were included (17,480 [82.1%] masculinizing and 3813 [27.9%] feminizing). Between 2016 and 2019, the number of chest surgeries per 100,000 encounters increased by 143.2% from 27.3 to 66.4 (P < 0.001). A total 12,751 (59.9%) chest surgeries were covered by private health insurance, 6557 (30.8%) were covered by public health insurance, 1172 (5.5%) were self-pay, and 813 (3.8%) had other means of payment. The median total charges were $29,887 (IQR, $21,778-$43,785) for chest reconstruction overall.”
The bottom line is only 5.5% of transgender individuals pay for their cosmetic surgery which is very different from normal male or female plastic surgery which is almost always self-funded. Repeal of payment for gender-affirming surgeries would be expected to markedly reduce this disfiguring and unnecessary cost to the health-care system.
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The costs will be pushed off onto those (citizens/taxpayers) who don't support this radical change. If someone has to pay for a service or product themselves, then they will consider whether it is worth it, i.e., opportunity costs. Sort of like the cost of university-education has risen dramatically once financial loans (Federal) became available.
A horrifying confirmation that our government seeks to destroy society to strengthen its own power.