Truman Customer Story Column
The man whose first worry was how much insurance would cover
When I ask what worried a man before surgery, most name pain or scarring.
He was different. What he worried about most, he wrote, was how much his insurance would cover. In a way it is the most practical worry there is. Separate from the resolve to have surgery, cost always carries weight.
Today I want to start with the honest answer I can give to that practical worry.
I cannot promise a guarantee — here is what I do instead
I cannot promise coverage, but here is what we do
Let me be clear first. A clinic cannot promise how much an insurance payout will be, or whether there will be one at all. That is determined by the terms of the policy you hold and by the insurer's assessment. (This patient held private indemnity health insurance in Korea; coverage rules differ by country and by policy.)
What a clinic can do is something else. We record the basis for the diagnosis accurately and prepare the documents needed for a claim thoroughly. Test results, the medical certificate and the operative record have to be properly in place for the assessment to be done properly. That is what we explained to him, and we prepared his paperwork accordingly. If you want to know the scope of your own coverage, check your policy terms and go over them together in a consultation.
A first impression that felt easy
About his impression of the clinic, he wrote this.
A first impression that put him at ease
"All the staff were men, so it felt easy, and they were kind."
In gynecomastia care this is not a small factor. Given that the examination requires taking off your shirt and showing your condition, who you are facing determines the height of the threshold. That is why we have built our space and staffing around men.
Some people find it hurts less than expected
About his course after surgery, he left this.
"After the operation there was surprisingly no pain or discomfort."
For some, it hurts less than expected
That was his case. Pain varies widely from person to person, though. With the same operation, some men have several fairly painful days and some, like him, get through it easily. Preparing for either is our job, and pain control and recovery guidance are handled according to the individual's condition.
For what he wanted to do after surgery, he named wearing white and light-colored T-shirts. Which presumably means he had a habit of choosing only dark clothing for fear of showing through. The colors in a wardrobe changing is one of the everyday things this surgery changes.
Finally, his one line for men with the same concern was short.
"Don't think about it — go."
It is a bracing thing to say, but it came out of his own experience. Whether surgery is right for you is something to decide after confirming your condition through an examination. Still, if your list of worries is only getting longer, bring that list to the consultation room. We will cross them off one at a time, together.
- Dr. Kim Sang-kyu, TRUEMAN Incheon -
