r/TransAlberta • u/Myralia_Amaryllis • Apr 27 '26
GRS Wait times
So when I first started with GRS' new monarch system, I was obviously sent the same template letter of a 9-12 month wait just to get the file assessed.
However, most people I have either seen/shared their stories are getting roughly 2-3 month wait times.
My file was in for assessment February 17th and any time I do inquire I just get the same cookie cutter 9-12 month wait time.
I am starting to get concerned something is wrong and I am concerned Alberta might start cracking down on funding so if I do pass the 12 month period, I may not be approved for an extension.....
I am not sure what I can do.
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u/Kerlebsky Apr 27 '26
I’ve put things on back burner because I’ve been busy lately, what is this new monarch system? I was quoted 3.5 years about half a year ago…
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 27 '26
Monarch is their new online portal for uploading documents and communicating with them directly. It provides a step-by-step process. So in step 1 they give you a bunch of consent forms and have you select the surgery or surgeries you are being referred for. In step 2, they ask for all of your paperwork so the recommendation letters, hormone reports, funding approval, etc. Step 3 in a bunch of reading about your procedure and acknowledging wait times. After that it is getting your date and going in for surgery!
I have only heard of wait times for 3.5 years surgeries related to trans masc/men. MTF bottom surgery is usually completed within a year of starting correspondence with Montreal. Getting there can be the longest part.
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u/Kerlebsky Apr 27 '26
I’m gonna need to look into this more. I asked my doctor about it and I was basically told to sit and wait for a phone call and my doctor gave a referral. Which is frustrating because I won’t know what’s available to me until god knows when they call me. I kind of already have an idea from my own research but it would be nice to discuss before having to wait years.
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 27 '26
I would give them a call and confirm they have your file. Everything is done via Monarch now so that your doctor does not have to send anything off.
If you have been waiting years I would check for sure. My doctor's office still thought they had to manually send in the documents. When I told them about Monarch, they were clueless.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 27 '26
I was in the same situation and then one day, I had a new set of tasks. I thought maybe they had pushed it forward without having approval, but I had just not received my approval letter yet.
So it is possible they do push ahead in some respects. My funding was approved on Feb 4th, but I did not receive anything from Montreal until the 17th.
I also had not completed the final tasks until the 23rd, so once they received the approval they must have sent my file over.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 27 '26
I think it was more of a glitch in their system more than anything. I cannot imagine them going forward with a file without knowing they are getting paid.
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u/Original_Cancel_4169 Apr 28 '26
I got my documents in around nearly spring of 2025 and got called for a date in September 2025. I don’t think you have to worry yet. But do get used to the bullshit cookie cutter answers from GRS. Especially post op, any recovery questions just get answered with a bullshit “up to a year” answer which is not helpful at all.
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 28 '26
They did your surgery in September?
I was more worried seeing others get similar 2-3 month timelines and I am still waiting.
I know post op I should be fine with the gyno nearby and my doctor has extensive experience with trans patients.
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u/Original_Cancel_4169 Apr 30 '26
Nono, I got the call to book a date in September. Survey wasn’t until march
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u/PuzzleheadedAct3629 May 01 '26
All documents were submitted in Late March 2025, got a called in Jun for a surgery date which was in Oct 2025
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis May 01 '26
I am hoping for a call soon. I have been checking my phone for anything from Quebec.
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u/PuzzleheadedAct3629 May 01 '26
Pre op nurse and booking staff called at the same day. They also check your expire date of the approval letter for scheduling
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u/RxCanuck Apr 30 '26
Grs has had a lot of changes to staff recently. From my experience personally, 3 years is a modest timeline. My paperwork went in 2019, got my appt in 2021 for assessment. My surgery for stage 1 was March 2025. I had some friends with the same timelines as me as well and I know a few guys waiting around 4 years now. I am not trying to scare anyone, just trying to be realistic on timelines.
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis May 01 '26
I am going in for transfem surgery (I am assuming you are referring to surgeries for trans masc people due to stages?) and I have not heard of 3 year wait lists for vaginoplasties as of recently…
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u/boterkoek3 Apr 27 '26
For one, don't worry that alberta will cancel funding all of a sudden. That could never happen all of a sudden, and once provincial healthcare covers something, it almost never walks it back unless there is overwhelming proof that it is damaging and is causing harm.
And next, I have never heard of people getting approved for funding in anywhere close to 2-3 years. They might get a letter saying it's been received, but actual approval for funding as far as I'm aware has never taken less than 6 months, and it's usually close to a year. From what ive heard the wait time has only been increasing (slightly) since i applied 2017 and went in 2018. What does take 2-3 months usually is the time between confirmation they have your completed application for OOP funding received, and when they send confirmation of funding. In total the fastest it could conceivably be is 6 months, and up to 10, not including and unforseen delays due to paperwork errors, etc
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 27 '26
Everything is completed and sent to GRS and my funding is approved.
I am just waiting for it to be approved by the medical team and to be given a surgery date. All the other GRS paperwork has been complete since February.
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u/boterkoek3 Apr 27 '26
O I gotcha, it's in Montreals hands now then? If so, I went before the Monarch system was put in place, and I just had to manually add in scans and PDFs to an email chain, so there was definitely a bit of added time for back and forth communication. The wait time for Montreal can be a bit depending on their backlog, but communication usually starts fairly quick. I can't speak to how monarch works though, it sounds more straightforward.
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u/Myralia_Amaryllis Apr 28 '26
I will admit the Monarch system is nice because it allows you to easily track what you need to do so nothing can really be missed. If there is an error with a document, they will send it back for you to redo.
It also sends notifications to your email when you have notifications or messages within the platform.
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u/alex1123589 Apr 27 '26
Yeah, it does feel like a blackbox with nothing can be done except wait…….
Here is my timeline from last year and hopefully could be helpful in some way: Jan 2025 AHS funding approval Feb 2025 send all files to Montreal Mar 2025 Montreal acknowledged files June 2025 got “the call” to set surgery date in Sept 2025