Trans Medical Mutual Aid
Trans Medical Mutual Aid is a small local group that provides education, services, supplies, and support to folks seeking gender-affirming medical care in the Madison / Dane County area.
We are an entirely volunteer-run organization of folks passionate about supporting queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming individuals in accessing gender-affirming medical care.
We have local knowledge and experience that we want to share with you to help you understand:
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how to navigate and access healthcare
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how to prepare yourself and your support system
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how to use your benefits, insurance, and local resources
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and much more!
Our services vary based on where you're at in your gender-affirming care journey. Find yourself in one of these buttons to see what we can offer:
I am...
Services for Surgical Patients
If you have a surgical procedure scheduled in the Madison / Dane County area of Wisconsin, we can leverage local knowledge and resources to provide:
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Rides to/from the hospital, grocery store, transit hubs, and hotel accommodations
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Hospital visits and hospital intake accompaniment
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Coordinated meal delivery for part of your local recovery
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Matched peer support to provide emotional support and check-ins during recovery
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Lendable surgery recovery supplies
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Free hospital comfort kit for your surgery day / stay
Please Note:
We do not provide medical advice
We do not provide hands-on services
(e.g., personal cares, lifts / transfers, cleaning / home help)
TMMA is a small, unpaid group of vetted volunteers with experience and passion for healthcare access for the trans and gender non-conforming community. Please contact us as early as possible for assistance so we have time to coordinate care.
We try our best to take all requests.
Where can you get our Care?
Surgical support is limited to folks scheduled to get a surgical procedure or to recover from a surgical procedure in the Madison / Dane County area.
Contact us to coordinate care prior to your procedure!
Services for Soon-to-be Patients and Support People
If you are:
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Waiting for a surgery
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Stuck somewhere in the process of scheduling a surgery
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Going to support someone else through a surgery
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Interested in exploring your local options for gender-affirming healthcare
We have knowledge and support to share with you! It's never too early to meet with us about healthcare.
Trans Surgery 101 Class
In one class, we cover:
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Types of gender-affirming surgery
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Information about results, complications, recovery time
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Insurance
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Prior Authorizations
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Appealing a claim
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Letters of Readiness
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Recovery and wound care
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Financial aid
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Taking time off work
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Using other benefits to your advantage
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and much, much more!
This class is specific and relevant to Wisconsin providers. We have demonstration equipment for you to learn how to care for drains, perform HRT injections as a post-surgery caretaker, and see tools and supplies that you might use after surgery. We have information that can save you incredible amounts of time, money, and stress - even if you are years away from surgery!
If you come to our Open Office Hours, we are happy to help you with just the information from this class that relates to your situation and interests.
Hands-On Demonstrations
We have the supplies and expertise to show you or a loved one how to do some of the basic wound care nd health maintenance tasks that might be necessary as you transition or recover from a medical procedure.
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How to clean and maintain a surgical drain (used in multiple procedures)
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How to do an intermuscular HRT shot
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How to do a subcutaneous HRT shot
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Examples of wound care supplies that might be used post-surgery
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Mentally prepare yourself or your support person(s) by seeing and holding the supplies for yourself!
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Talk with folks who have been through it!
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Financial Aid Application Assistance
We can
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Help you understand financial aid policies
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Provide a computer and office space to complete your financial aid applications
Letters of Readiness
We have an active partnership with multiple WPATH-certified mental health providers with years of experience in evaluating, diagnosing, and writing letters for gender-affirming care treatments. If you are in need of new or updated letters of readiness, we would be happy to suggest multiple providers who can evaluate you.
Many of our Office Hours events and some of our Tabling events also have providers available to provide readiness assessment services. Please Contact Us for more information about the intake and scheduling process for assessments during our events!
Events or Group Appearances
We are willing to set up any or all of our educational services for group events. You may have seen us run Trans Surgery 101, wound care demonstrations, financial aid clinics, or free letter of readiness evaluations in the past at pride events. If you have a group that could benefit, please give us a heads up and we'll try our best to find the time to come out.
