hey man..
i've heard insurance companies can be a painful source to deal with..
personally.. i think your case is a totally valid medical case.. and i really don't think that you would need a mastectomy. one of the symptoms of gynecomastia are sore breasts, and i think the removal of glandular tissue pretty much follows the same procedure as removal of glandular tissue in non-painful glandular cases..
see, in Ontario and BC, the government sponsored medical insurance pays for the excision of the glandular tissue - that is because gynecomastia (the formation of the actual gland) IS a medical condition.. whether it be painful or not..
its the liposuction that is not covered.. mainly because lipo is looked at as a purely cosmetic surgery treatment that is not necessary.. however, the thing is.. if you just get your gland removed, the fat that has been surrounding your gland (if not removed) could form 'craters' in your chest.. so the lipo is basically performed for better controuing..
given that you're not such a serious (phenotypically speaking) case.. yet you do have a pretty serious case when it comes to the physical pain felt, i don't think a mastectomy should be performed.. i've seen some pictures of mastectomies, and its crazy. the guys have gotten scars across their chest.. i think a mastectomy should be performed only if the gyne case is pretty damn severe..
i mean, if you look at dr.bermant's pages.. he's got pics of guys with gyne that has gone pretty bad, and even they didn't get a mastectomy performed.. so yeah.. i don't think your agency should offer you a mastectomy.. and if they do, you should seriously go and talk to the people in person.. refer them to this site even..
i know this is probably not a preferred option.. but have you considered getting the surgery done privately? as in without the intervention of the insurance company?
i know its really expensive, but i think it would be worth it in the long run.. unfortunately, gyne is so out of the picture in our modern society.. people don't understand the need for it to be taken seriously.. usually guys with breasts are joked around with and teased, and people never seem to understand what the hell goes on inside the guy's mind..
i would suggest you check out canada.. cosmetic surgery procedures are very good there,and its much cheaper than the US too.. i would say you're looking at anywhere from $3,000-$5,000 CAD (Vancouver/Toronto).
you can check this out:
www.drlornebrown.comor google, Fairview Plastic Surgery (in Vancouver).. i've heard good reviews from these two surgeons and they perform gyne surgery for the price range abovementioned.. now the trip to and fro might be a problem.. but i think its worth it..
another thing you could do.. if you're getting this done privately, is try thailand..
i have great faith in thai cosmetic surgeons, as sketchy as it may sound in north america.... haha. but seriously. asia is booming in the cosmetic surgery industry.. and i've been to bangkok many times and i've seen what the thai surgeons can do.. try looking up "Bumrungrad Hospital" which is located in bangkok.. consultations can be made online, you basically have to send them pictures/photos.. then you can basically book surgery date.. fly down to bangkok.. the surgery (gland removal + lipo) will cost something like $1,500 US and the flight would be another $800-$1200 still cheaper than getting surgery done in the US.. and you get to see a new country. heh. thailand is beautiful, very nice for relaxing post-surgery..
don't worry man. the options never end.. just wait for a little more time, you've made it this far.. its just a little more to go.. hopefully your insurance company won't be a jackass and will finance your surgery.. yours is a completely legitimate medical case and it SHOULD be covered..
but yeah.
hope this helps..
best of luck.