I have seen a trans woman on a panel present a strong case for just getting out of the US healthcare system and visiting Thailand to get gender-affirming bottom surgery (vaginoplasty, etc.) I also know someone who did it, but she did it like 15 years ago.
I'm looking at my situation with health insurance, and the case is very strong.
I live in North Carolina, where I am in line for a well-regarded vaginoplasty surgeon, with only vague estimates of the date. Publicly-available insurance plans here are the typical ones from healthcare.gov. They are not required to cover elective gender-affirming surgeries, so they don't. I had (and for the moment, I still have) good health insurance from my employer, but I am recently unemployed.
From what I've learned: In Thailand I would pay out of pocket, but the full amount is comparable to what I would pay in COBRA premiums to keep my current insurance that probably covers vaginoplasty until the time when I can probably have the surgery. Also in Thailand, I am told, there are numerous surgeons who are very good at this surgery, and you get treated like a human being through the whole process.
Does anyone have any recommendations for or against surgery in Thailand? Any experience with this? Can you tell me about particular surgeons?