Some of the nation’s largest transgender “health care” providers are rubber-stamping approvals for life-altering sex-change procedures — and even falsely representing health diagnoses of patients — so insurance companies will cover the medical expenses, Daily Wire host Matt Walsh revealed in a tweet thread Wednesday.
In an undercover investigation, Walsh and his team discovered how easy it is to get approved for sex-change surgery when one of the host’s producers got a thumbs up for an orchiectomy — a procedure to remove testicles — after just a 22-minute virtual appointment with Plume, the largest transgender health care provider in the U.S.
🧵1/ BREAKING: The largest “trans healthcare” providers in the U.S. are rubber-stamping letters approving gruesome, life-altering surgeries. It’s such a racket that my producer was approved for testicle removal in #22minutes. The tape is disturbing.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 7, 2023
Walsh’s producer Gregg Re got scheduled for a video call with Plume after providing a fake name on an intake form. Re made it clear that he had not been experiencing gender dysphoria for six months or more, he mispronounced the name of the surgery he wanted, and he said he didn’t know what effect the surgery would have on him. Yet, Plume’s nurse practitioner told Re “she wanted to write the most ‘solid’ letter possible to justify surgery,” Walsh explained.
Three days later, Plume sent a letter to Re, who said his name was “Chelsea Bussey,” saying Re was experiencing “significant, ongoing gender dysphoria” — despite “Bussey” stating unequivocally that this was not the case — and recommending “Chelsea” for testicle removal. Walsh said that in a text message to Re, Plume explained that the letters of recommendation are sent using a template based on standards provided by the radical World Professional Association for Transgender Health, also known as WPATH. Plume sells letters of recommendation for $150 to those seeking transgender surgeries.
13/ Three days later, Plume sent this letter to "Chelsea Bussey” – who does not exist — saying he was experiencing "significant, ongoing gender dysphoria.” The letter strongly recommended “Chelsea” for testicle removal. pic.twitter.com/WzIMsjygS6
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 7, 2023
15/ Later, Plume’s nurse practitioner confirmed that "in order for the surgery to be paid for," the dysphoria diagnosis would need to remain. At the same time, the nurse appeared confused as to why “Chelsea Bussey” had requested testicle removal in the first place. pic.twitter.com/AocC3z0FQ2
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 7, 2023
Folx, another popular transgender telehealth service, also approves patients for sex-change procedures even if they are not diagnosed with “gender dysphoria,” according to Walsh.
“Folx, which provides letters authorizing surgeries for a nominal fee, goes on to admit that ‘it’s quite possible’ patients will receive a letter indicating a gender dysphoria diagnosis, even though they ‘really do not have dysphoria,’” Walsh noted. “We reached out to Folx about this. A staff member confirmed that a ‘diagnosis’ of gender dysphoria — with the word ‘diagnosis’ in scare quotes — is a ‘requirement’ for insurance purposes, even if it ‘doesn’t apply.’”
6/ Folx, which provides letters authorizing surgeries for a nominal fee, goes on to admit that “it’s quite possible” patients will receive a letter indicating a gender dysphoria diagnosis, even though they “really do not have dysphoria.” pic.twitter.com/j9x3ZyKmGf
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 7, 2023
Ari Groner, a licensed clinical social worker who educates doctors on “trans healthcare,” openly admitted in a video that those seeking transgender surgeries can easily get letters of recommendation.
“At a recent training session for the Juniper Center, Groner explained that she writes whatever letters her patients want, because she’s not a ‘gatekeeper,’” Walsh said, adding that “Groner explains that insurance companies won’t pay for these surgeries unless the patient is diagnosed with gender dysphoria.”
3/ Groner was referring to the WPATH standards, which major hospitals follow. They require that trans patients obtain a letter before undergoing surgeries. But Groner tells her audience to treat the letters as a “persuasive essay," and to green-light even suicidal patients. pic.twitter.com/dpQe6TCdRP
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 7, 2023
Walsh and his team dug deeper into how Plume and Folx have expanded across the U.S. with Plume reaching people in 41 states and Folx present in 47 states.
“The answer is that there’s big money behind this,” Walsh said. “Plume and Folx raised more than $45 million last year. [Craft Ventures] just led Plume’s $14 million fundraising round. Is [Craft general partner David Sacks] aware this is going on?”
With Plume and Folx operating in most of the U.S., The Daily Wire host asked if medical insurance companies were aware that the transgender medical providers were sending letters of recommendation “based on obviously false information.”
Walsh concluded his thread by arguing that his investigation revealed yet another dark secret in the “corrupt and fraudulent” transgender medical industry.
“[Trans activists] are furious because they know the ‘gender transition’ industry is corrupt and fraudulent from the ground up,” Walsh said. “Protecting kids is just one piece of the puzzle. The fight begins there, but it doesn’t end there. The whole industry needs to be shut down.”