Letter(s) of Support

According to United, letter(s) of support for surgery must be written by a licensed therapist. Currently, you need one letter for top surgery and two for bottom surgery.

If you have a therapist, they can review the WPATH standards of care.

If you do not have a therapist or need an additional letter, you can receive one from the LGBTQ+ Resource Center counselor (at no-cost) or a CAPS provider. Financial assistance is available for all CAPS services. CAPS Care Coordinators can also help you find an affirming therapist off-campus.

Surgery Referrals

Once you have found a surgeon, call CAPS at (520) 621-3334 and ask for a Care Coordinator. Care Coordinators are able to generate referrals for plastic surgery in the United system. This way your surgeon's office can bill your insurance.

Surgery Consultations

A consultation is an opportunity to ask all of your questions and get to know your surgeon. Again, ask lots of questions! This is when you can ask to see results photos of surgeries they have done before and collaborate about your desired outcomes.

Coverage (in-network)

You are responsible for paying 20% of the total cost of services (AKA your "coinsurance") when:

• You have a referral for surgery in the United system
• You are seeing an in-network provider
• You have met the $250 deductible

The total cost includes surgery, hospital bills, anesthesia, etc. The maximum amount out-of-pocket amount is $1500. If you reach this amount in a policy year, the rest of your covered services are paid by insurance.

Please note, this does not guarantee payment. These are rough estimates and things change! If you are curious about the cost of your surgery and services, contact the administrative staff at your surgeon's office about their rates with United. Ask questions!

If you have specific questions about the UHC SR policy, contact the Campus Health Student Insurance Office at (520) 621-5002 or email ssurgerysrs@uhcsr.com. 

View the full UHC Medical Policy

Coverage (Out-of-Network) 

If you want to see a surgeon that is not in-network with United, there are still ways to bill insurance!

If there are no in-network providers that perform your surgery in Arizona, you can ask the surgeon to file a “single-case agreement” for in-network rates. Make sure to mention this to your surgeon/their office so that they can work directly with United Healthcare Student Resources.

If there are in-network surgeons available for your procedure but you prefer to see an out-of-network surgeon, a single-case agreement is not an option. Therefore your services are processed as out-of-network and will be billed accordingly.

In this scenario, be prepared to pay out of pocket for everything initially. Once you receive an itemized statement with codes for services, you can submit a claim to UHC SR for partial reimbursement. Ultimately, this is a more expensive option.

The coinsurance for out-of-network providers is 50% (of what United typically covers). You'll have to meet a $1000 deductible and $3000 out-of-pocket maximum.

If you have questions, feel free to call a CAPS Care Coordinator (520) 621-3334 or the Student Insurance Office for help!