Jay Johnston Albuquerque, NM created on Wed January 29, 2014

I’m J Johnson. I’m 65 and I’m on Medicare.

I consider myself apart of the Transgender community. Obviously I want care that is sensitive to myself as a Trans-guy. I don’t really have any particular problems anymore. I’m on “T”. I don’t get insurance coverage, because I use a compounded cream. It is available at a compounded pharmacy, which isn’t covered by Medicare.

I don’t consider myself too elder. Medicare, well, it’s pretty easy it’s pretty seamless. When I got to be 65 I changed my Medicare card. I currently go to a PA for my primary care, and she prescribes “T” and she is wonderful. I get everything I need to get done and I think she prefers having Trans people as her patience, so it’s been really good.

I have a co-pay. I did get my surgery covered. I got pap surgery which I paid out of pocket.

I get my labs paid for, I get doctors visit paid for, and I think I’d get “T” paid for if I didn’t get it from a compounding pharmacy. I have Medicare A and B, and I have C and D with Pres.

I think it would be hard if Medicare weren’t here. I would have to go into the Individual Market, but I’m retired and it’s super expensive. The copays are really low on Medicare. I think my doctor’s visits are $15.

I really like Presbyterian. That’s what I had when I was employed.

I think what would help me are the other aspects of the ACA, like there’s no preexisting condition rejections anymore.

I hope it’s going to eventually mean that people will get any Transgender services. Since this is my community, I see a lot of people struggle because they can’t get services. I was able to afford my TOP surgery, with difficulty, but I was able to do it. But, there’s a lot of guys out there that go years and years of binding and it can get painful….and it’s very hot in New Mexico. And you know, they can get that paid for and I think the insurance companies that have decided to cover it, really haven’t gone like “Oh my gosh, we can’t afford this!”

I think the problems are going to get worked out. Hopefully there is a sort of back door for coverage for everybody, without a big thing about everybody applying. Like with Medicare, you get your card in the mail, and they say you owe such and such. It’s very easy. It can only be a good thing. I think there are fewer people who won’t be able to get covered. I think this “no rejecting preexisting conditions” thing is a good thing.

I’m hopeful for it. I think it’s a really good thing and I was really supportive of it going through. I was sorry about the thing about the Public Option. I would have liked to see it be more liberal than it is. I think whatever it is, we can work with it now that it is here, but if you didn’t have anything, you can’t work with what’s not here if you catch my drift.