Gender Confirmation Surgery Cost and Funding Guide
Gender confirmation surgery costs are expensive and can leave you feeling slightly overwhelmed at first. However, this shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing surgery if you’re looking to medically transition.
Hormone and gender confirmation surgery aren’t cheap for Australians, but fortunately, financial support is available for those who can’t afford to transition.
In this article, we look at how fundraising can help on your journey to transitioning, while also discussing whether insurance can ease the financial burden.
Health insurance coverage for gender confirmation surgery
If you’re planning to start medically transitioning, the first step is to take a serious look at your financial situation. With or without insurance, sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are not cheap. Though some insurance plans will cover them, it’s completely dependent on the provider and your plan type. Medicare also covers some treatments.
Looking into what options are available, your savings account and your next 5 to 10-year financial forecast should be the first step in all transitions. Here, we’ve broken down some of the main costs, so you can review your finances and plan accordingly.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
HRT does not require a diagnosis and is the first step for many in their medical transition journey. Transgender men take testosterone, while transgender women take estrogen. Hormones can be taken by pill, patch, pellet, or injection.
For those without health insurance, HRT for gender affirmation can cost from $30-$100 a month. Hormones are necessary for the body to function, which means this is a continuous treatment. Therefore, transgender people will need to pay these monthly costs for as long as they wish to take hormones.
Therapist and psychologist appointments
Before deciding to proceed with any varying degree of gender confirmation surgery, transgender people are expected to have received an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria from their doctor, and received counselling about what a transition would look like.
With the average cost of a session coming in at around $300 (according to the 2023-2024 Australian Psychological Society fee schedule), bi-weekly or even monthly appointments can quickly add up.
Gender confirmation surgery
After expressing their gender identity, receiving an official diagnosis and completing the required psychological process, transgender people can start looking for surgeons to book appointments for their surgery.
Transgender women (male-to-female surgery)
For those transitioning from male to female, some insurance companies, and Medicare, may cover the following bottom surgeries:
- Clitoroplasty
- Labiaplasty
- Orchiectomy
- Penectomy
- Urethroplasty
- Vaginoplasty
While not all patients want every single surgery, it’s important to recognise that this doesn’t change the validity of their gender identity. What treatment someone chooses to have is a personal choice.
It’s also worth noting that breast augmentations for male-to-female transitions are not always covered by Medicare or insurance, despite being a coveted surgery.
Transgender men (female-to-male surgery)
When transitioning from female to male, the most common surgery is top surgery or a bilateral mastectomy. Some insurance companies, and Medicare, may cover the following bottom surgery procedures:
- Hysterectomy
- Metoidioplasty
- Penile prosthesis
- Phalloplasty
- Salpingo-oophorectomy
- Scrotoplasty
- Testicular prostheses
- Urethroplasty
- Vaginectomy
These procedures, including hormone replacement therapy and psychology costs, usually come in anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000. This typically includes surgeon and anaesthetist fees, theatre fees, specialist appointments, and hospital costs.
You can use the Commonwealth Ombudsman Private Health resources to compare policies for what is covered or check out the online Medicare Benefits Schedule tool to see what’s covered by Medicare.
If you find that your chosen surgery isn’t covered by insurance, then fear not. Fortunately, there is another option for Australians accessing gender-affirming surgery.
Consider crowdfunding the cost of your gender confirmation surgery
When insurance policies seem to change on a regular basis, crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe are an option many consider to help raise funds for their gender confirmation surgery.
While sharing your story on the internet can be a petrifying moment, it can also open you up to a supportive community who are willing to help.
Embrace the full spectrum of the opportunity
A crowdfunding fundraiser for gender transition is about more than the money you raise. It’s an opportunity for you to tell your story, connect with people, and receive support from friends, family, and community members — even from strangers around the world.
It also allows you to share your journey on social media to reach a broader audience, meaning you’re able to inspire those who are in a similar position.
Build bridges with your transition story
Any successful fundraiser starts with honest storytelling. While opening up online might be intimidating, telling your story about transitioning requires courage and authenticity. By sharing your story with clarity and heart, you will help to inspire those experiencing gender dysphoria. However, always put your safety and privacy first.
For more tips on telling compelling stories that inspire others to give, take a look at our blog post on effective fundraiser storytelling.
Use photos and videos
Another way to make your transitioning story feel more personal—and to increase donations—is to use plenty of photos and videos. Compelling images help other people share and tell your story through social media, while also allowing them to connect to your journey.
In addition to using photos and videos on your fundraiser page, be sure to include them in the gender confirmation surgery updates you post for donors throughout your fundraiser.
Be specific with costs
It’s always advisable to be as specific about costs as possible, so people know exactly where their donations are going and can visualise the impact their generosity will have.
While sharing details of your gender confirmation surgery costs may seem overly personal, it helps to build trust with potential donors and makes them more likely to support your transitioning journey. As we know, Aussies pride themselves on honesty.
Start your journey with the support you need
Ready to make the big move? Start your fundraiser today.