A Question For Canadian Girls

[VanTG]

I am trying to figure out what Provinces in Canada fund SRS and which ones do not. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about certain provinces and I just want to see what the official list is.

If I find out anything in my research over the next couple days I will be sure to post it.

[I Am Paula]

I know Ontario does. However, to qualify you must go thru CAMH (Canadian Addiction and Mental health). Their slowness is the stuff of legend. In my case, I filled out an intake form, and TWO YEARS later got an appt. for assessment in TWO MORE YEARS. There is light at the end of that tunnel. Recent new rules say that if you get on HRT privately, thier intake is much quicker, as they fast track you in the program. It still takes years to get Gov. funded GRS. Another downside. You must attend therapy at their facility, The Clarke Institute, in downtown Toronto, to get their HRT.
It's all a bit of a can of worms. The system DOES work, but the gatekeepers from Hell will make it difficult. The waiting list is a b*tch.
I dropped off their waiting list after two years, and found a wonderful Endo who is the answer to all my prayers. I'm paying for GRS in Montreal out of pocket. If you think of GRS with Dr. Brassard as $20,000. Save $5000 a year for four years, it's really not tough to afford guaranteed medical care.
That's the Ontario situation as I see it. Hope this helps.

[Frances]

There is misinformation, because there have been changes recently. Quebec does, but all patients go to Dr. Brassard.

[Kathryn Martin]

Currently Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia (it is now coded in the medical funding list of services). Manitoba and Newfoundland purport to provide coverage but never approve anyone and have created barriers so that people cannot get through them.

[PaulaAnn]

Alberta funds SRS...but there are additional expenses to be bourn by the applicant. The surgery is done in Quebec.
PaulaAnn.

[Princess Chantal]

Currently Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia (it is now coded in the medical funding list of services). Manitoba and Newfoundland purport to provide coverage but never approve anyone and have created barriers so that people cannot get through them.

Pffft it's an open door here in Manitoba it seems......

Your "never" statement for Manitoba is total B.S. Many friends of mine have been approved, one being too easily approved (one wasted lots of the tax dollars by going to Montreal and at the very last minute decided that it was not for her). By the last minute, I mean she was just hours away from the operation.

[AndreaCD1963]

Recent new rules say that if you get on HRT privately, thier intake is much quicker, as they fast track you in the program.

It was my understanding that in Ontario, even getting onto HRT was a challenge, and was controlled by the same CAMH challenges? Can you share any information (without breaking any forum rules) regarding private HRT, the process, etc. in Ontario Paula? Ditto with BA surgery, even though the patient is paying for that out of pocket.

[Launa]

Many friends of mine have been approved, one being too easily approved (one wasted lots of the tax dollars by going to Montreal and at the very last minute decided that it was not for her). By the last minute, I mean she was just hours away from the operation.

Wow, hours away from the operation and deciding to jam out? That's cutting it close.

[spandexgirl188]

Well from personal exp, i went straight to my gen practitioner. Told him i wanted to take E. He did the blood work, then sent my case to another doctor who specializes in cases like mine, i got the appt and before i knew it i was on my way.

[Kathryn Martin]

Your "never" statement for Manitoba is total B.S.

"Manitoba Health insures SRS and a variety of related medical procedures including chest reconstruction, hysterectomy, and electrolysis. No coverage exists for breast augmentation.

Male to female SRS is covered at the Montreal clinic. There is no coverage for the facility portion of fees because it is a private clinic. There may be a transportation subsidy for out-of-province travel. Patients must be recommended by the Gender Identity Clinic in Toronto."


Significant barriers like in other provinces which nominally "cover" sex reassigment surgery. What are you surgery statistics for Manitoba? Population is around 1.3 Mio and incidents of surgery requests are roughly around 2-3 per year. How many get funded fully? I wonder who you many friends are.....

[whowhatwhen]

People seriously need to travel out of province just because camh has to be the center of the universe?

[VanTG]

All of your information is helping out a lot, I did find some answers and resources.

[Princess Chantal]

There were 4 friends/acquaintances (both MtF and FtM) that had their srs funded to some degree last year (to the degree, I did not and will not ask as it's not any of my business/have no interest to dig in any deeper). There are another 4 that had been approved for some sort of funding and had the srs or have a date set for this year. Obviously, I don't know everyone in Manitoba, so I could assume that there are more.
There was a recent article in the local newspaper that mentioned,"Last year, Manitoba saw a spike in the number of people seeking to change their sex, at least on paper. For most of the last five years, only nine Manitobans asked Vital Statistics to change the male or female gender marker on their birth certificate, typically the last step in someone’s transition. In 2013, that number jumped to 21, with most people transitioning from female to male." http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/The-final-symbolic-step-of-transitioning-254801321.html
I could confidently assume that the similiar spike action had to happen with srs requests.
Manitoba health does have a large list of trans related surgical procedures that it does not cover, however same holds true with the coverage of my father's MS and the thousands of other conditions.

[Frances]

People seriously need to travel out of province just because camh has to be the center of the universe?

I went through the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) program. They are affiliated with the Camh and I got my letters. I honestly think that people cannot handle such programs because they have to take responsibility for their destiny. These programs do not give recommendations, don't hold the patient's hand and don't offer guidance. All they do is observe the patient over a set period of time and aquiesce to demands. That's the operative word here, demand. A lot of people want to be told to transition by their therapist or their wife or whatever. Gatekeepers don't open the gate if the patient does not demand to go through it.

[I Am Paula]

It was my understanding that in Ontario, even getting onto HRT was a challenge, and was controlled by the same CAMH challenges? Can you share any information (without breaking any forum rules) regarding private HRT, the process, etc. in Ontario Paula? Ditto with BA surgery, even though the patient is paying for that out of pocket.

Andrea- My experience in Ontario. I spoke to my GP, who sent me to an Endo. He sent me to a therapist for a one hour evaluation. Therapist sent my letter of readiness back to endo, who prescribed HRT. Not counting waiting time, it was a two hour process.
My endo claims WPATH and CAMH guidelines are a little heavy handed. He takes each case separately and judges them. Much like informed consent, he believes a person is a pretty good judge of their own gender AND hormone readiness.
Things that worked in my favor. I had been presenting female 98% for a year. My GP vouched for this. My issues were becoming VERY apparent, and Doctors all agreed a quick intervention was needed. My therapist believes that if HRT is not right for you, you will not like it, and quit voluntarily.
Obviously, I can not speak for all Doctors, but mine, who has 70 TS patients, and at my informal support group is spoken of as the GO-TO guy, understands TS needs.

Concerning breast augmentation. I spoke to three well known surgeons in the TS community. All agreed it is your body, and if you have the cash, they supply the boobs. No letters, or referrals needed. PM me if you would like the name of the one I chose. He is in Richmond Hill.

[sandra-leigh]

Here in Winnipeg, I know at least 5 MTF who have had GRS funded; I know Chantal included 2 of those in her count, but I am not sure that she knows the other 3. Travel to Montreal is refunded after the fact (so the person needs to find the funds first.)

Having to go through Toronto is old information; approval is now handled locally in Manitoba. I have, at various times, met all of the doctors and psychiatrists and therapists who are involved in the process.

[AndreaCD1963]

Thanks Paula! - I have sent you a PM.

[I Am Paula]

I had an appointment with my endo this afternoon, (after an appt. at the cosmetic clinic for some juvederm facial filler- more on that later- fantastic!) and one of the topics was orchiectomy. He said to go thru CAMH about it, to get it paid by OHIP. Then he asked when I was thinking SRS, and I said probably a couple of years. His response FLOORED me. He said I have my RLE, and letter from my therapist, a one hour psych evaluation was all I needed, and there was no reason he could not get me thru' the CAMH hoops for full SRS within a couple of months, for surgery as early as Fall. He will call the director immediately.
I was fully prepared to pay out of pocket, due to horror stories about CAMH. This news shook me to the ground, and I had an epic anxiety attack on my way home :)