Trans Resource Navigator

Gender-affirming care in California

Change detected, under review. An official source this page relies on changed recently. Part of this page may be out of date until we review it.

  • Page changed: Family PACT (2026-10-12) · #210
  • Page changed: SB 923, TGI Inclusive Care Act (2026-10-05) · #113
  • Page changed: ADAP eligibility (2026-09-28) · #19
Care for adults
Allowed
Care for people under 18
Allowed
Medi-Cal pays for hormones
Covered
Medi-Cal pays for surgery
Covered
Private plans must cover care
Yes, by law

Gender-affirming care is legal and protected for adults and minors in California. Medi-Cal covers hormone therapy, surgery, and related care, state-regulated private plans may not exclude it, and a shield law protects patients and providers. Informed-consent hormone clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and sliding-scale community health centers operate in every major metro, and several state and city programs pay for care if you are uninsured.

Draft from official sources, September 23, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify

On this page
  1. Health centers near you
  2. Hormones by telehealth
  3. Clinics, programs, and funds
  4. Paying for care
  5. Rules for adults
  6. Rules for under 18
  7. Laws and court cases
  8. Sources

Community health centers near you

These federally funded centers must see you whether or not you have insurance, and charge based on income. Many, but not all, prescribe hormone therapy. Call and ask for "gender-affirming care" or "hormone therapy."

Sorting by distance uses your location only on this device. It is never sent anywhere.

Hormones by telehealth

These services prescribe hormones through video visits for people in this state. Point of Pride pays for a year and a half of care with several of them each spring.

  • Plume

    PaidNo Medicaid18+

    Trans-led telehealth service providing informed-consent hormone therapy, lab orders, prescriptions, and letters for surgery and documents, by app and video visit. Self-pay only since January 2026. A Point of Pride HRT Access Fund partner.

    About $99 per month ($90 in NY and NJ), which includes visits, messaging, prescriptions, and document letters. Labs and medications are billed separately and are often cheap with GoodRx or at a community pharmacy. Free for 18 months if you win a Point of Pride HRT Access Fund grant.

  • FOLX Health

    InsuranceTakes insuranceNo Medicaid18+

    LGBTQ-focused telehealth offering hormone therapy, PrEP, primary care, and mental health visits. Accepts major commercial insurance (Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare) but not Medicaid or Medicare. A Point of Pride HRT Access Fund partner.

    In-network with many commercial plans; self-pay membership about $69 to $98 per month all-inclusive.

  • QueerDoc

    Sliding scale

    Small telehealth practice offering informed-consent hormone therapy with transparent sliding-scale pricing. Does not bill insurance for visits, but labs and prescriptions can go through your insurance. A Point of Pride HRT Access Fund partner.

    Sliding scale by income; check the current pricing page.

  • Planned Parenthood

    Sliding scaleTakes insurance

    Many Planned Parenthood affiliates provide informed-consent gender-affirming hormone therapy alongside sexual and reproductive health care, on a sliding scale and with Medicaid. Most affiliates see adults 18 and older; a few see 16- and 17-year-olds with parental consent and a readiness letter. Many start hormone care by telehealth. Self-pay initial consults typically run about $120 to $250 before sliding-scale discounts.

Clinics, programs, and funds

  • Gender Health SF (San Francisco Department of Public Health)[9]

    City program that gives uninsured and underinsured San Francisco residents access to gender-affirming surgery plus preparation, education, and navigation, at no cost. Requires SF residency, enrollment in SF Health Network coverage (SF Medi-Cal managed care, Healthy San Francisco, or Healthy Workers), and a referral from your primary care clinic.

    • Free
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

    Serves: San Francisco residents

  • Healthy San Francisco[10]

    San Francisco's safety-net program for uninsured residents of any immigration status with income up to 500% of the federal poverty level. Not insurance, but it assigns you a primary care home in the SF Health Network with sliding-scale fees, and it is one of the coverage types accepted by Gender Health SF. Call 415-615-4555.

    • Sliding scale
    • Sees uninsured patients

    Serves: San Francisco residents

    415-615-4555

  • San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives[11]

    City office connecting residents to free name and gender marker change clinics (with Transgender Law Center and the Transgender District), employment support, and health care navigation.

    • Free

  • PrEP Assistance Program (PrEP-AP), CDPH Office of AIDS[12]

    State program that pays for PrEP and PEP medication, labs, and clinic visits for HIV-negative California residents 18 and older with income up to 500% of the federal poverty level, whether uninsured or underinsured. Immigration status does not matter and it is not a public charge issue. Enroll through a PrEP-AP enrollment site or provider.

    • Free
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), CDPH Office of AIDS[13]

    Pays for HIV medications for California residents living with HIV, 18 and older, with income up to 600% of the federal poverty level (no cost below 400%). Enroll through a certified ADAP enrollment worker.

    • Free
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Family PACT[14]

    State program providing free family planning and sexual health services, including STI testing and treatment, to low-income Californians of any gender who have no other coverage for those services. Enroll on the spot at any Family PACT provider (many Planned Parenthood and community clinics).

    • Free
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Santa Clara County Gender Health Center (county-run)[15]

    County health system clinic in San Jose providing primary care, hormone therapy, mental health, and nursing and social services for trans people of all ages, with walk-in social services. 777 E. Santa Clara St; 408-977-4550.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients
    408-977-4550777 E. Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95112

  • Lyon-Martin Community Health Services[22]

    San Francisco clinic serving women, trans, and nonbinary people; informed-consent hormone therapy, no therapist letter required; sliding scale.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • St. John's Community Health, Transgender Health Program (Los Angeles)[23]

    Large federally qualified health center in South and Central Los Angeles with a dedicated transgender health program offering hormone therapy, primary care, mental health, and case management; online new-patient intake.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Family Health Centers of San Diego, Transgender Health Services[24]

    Federally qualified health center with a transgender health program and patient advocates across San Diego County; sliding scale and Medi-Cal. Hillcrest site at 4094 4th Ave, 619-515-2300.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients
    619-515-2300

  • Gender Health Center (Sacramento)[25]

    Trans- and BIPOC-led Sacramento nonprofit with sliding-scale therapy, hormone therapy, HIV and STI testing, harm reduction, and legal and health care navigation. 3823 V St; 916-455-2391.

    • Sliding scale
    • Sees uninsured patients
    916-455-23913823 V St, Sacramento, CA 95817

  • Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, Trans Wellness Center and Glenn Burke Clinic[26]

    Free therapy and support groups at the Lakeshore Avenue center, plus a Trans Wellness Center and clinic in East Oakland opened in 2025 for culturally competent trans health care.

    • Free
    3207 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610

  • Planned Parenthood affiliates in California, gender-affirming hormone therapy[16][17][18][19][20][21]

    Informed-consent hormone therapy on a sliding scale, with Medi-Cal and Family PACT accepted. Northern California (17+ health centers; ages 16 and 17 with a parent and readiness letter; first visits by telehealth), California Central Coast (16+; minors' first visit in person with a guardian), Pacific Southwest (San Diego, Riverside, Imperial; 18+; telehealth center in San Diego), Los Angeles (18+), Orange and San Bernardino (18+; 714-922-4100 or 909-890-5511), and Mar Monte (Central Valley and South Bay; confirm minimum age).

    • Sliding scale
    • Telehealth
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Find a community health center (HRSA)[27]

    Official locator for federally qualified health centers, which must see you regardless of insurance or ability to pay and charge on a sliding scale. Many California centers run informed-consent hormone programs; call and ask for "transgender health" or "gender-affirming care".

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Point of Pride funds[28]

    National funds for people who cannot afford care. HRT Access Fund (18 months of free telehealth hormone therapy; applications each May), Annual Trans Surgery Fund (November 1 to 30), Electrolysis and Thrive Funds, and free binders and shapewear.

    • Free

  • Genderbands grants[29]

    Small grants for surgery and for transition costs including hormones, electrolysis, clothing, and name change fees; 18 and older. Surgery applications October 1 to November 30 each year.

    • Free

  • Trans Health Project (Advocates for Trans Equality)[31]

    Free templates and guides for appealing insurance denials of gender-affirming care, including employer self-funded plans.

    • Free

Paying for care

Medicaid (Medi-Cal)[2][3][7][4][5]

Medi-Cal covers medically necessary transgender health services, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, mental health care, hair removal, voice therapy, and chest, genital, and facial surgeries, following recognized standards of care (DHCS All Plan Letter 25-014 and Policy Letter 24-03). Since March 2025, Medi-Cal managed care plans must mark in their provider directories which in-network providers offer gender-affirming care (SB 923).

Who qualifies: adults with income up to about 138% of the federal poverty level; higher limits for children and pregnant people. Immigration status does not matter for people already enrolled, but new enrollment of undocumented adults 19 and older into full-scope Medi-Cal was frozen on January 1, 2026 under the 2025 state budget. If you were enrolled before then, keep renewing on time to keep full coverage. Dental benefits for adults with unsatisfactory immigration status end July 1, 2026, and a $30 monthly premium for ages 19 to 59 in that group begins July 1, 2027.

Apply at BenefitsCal.com, through Covered California, or at your county human services office. Dental and county specialty mental health are included benefits.

Apply for coverage

Private insurance[1][6]

The Insurance Gender Nondiscrimination Act (Health & Safety Code § 1365.5; Insurance Code § 10140) bars state-regulated health plans and insurers from denying, limiting, or excluding gender-affirming benefits based on sex or gender identity. If a plan denies care, file a grievance with the plan; if it is not resolved in 30 days (or the situation is urgent), file a complaint or request an Independent Medical Review with the Department of Managed Health Care (free; 1-888-466-2219). Self-funded employer plans are federally regulated and may not be covered; the Trans Health Project has appeal templates for those.

Covered California plans must include gender-affirming care. State subsidies bring the benchmark plan to $0 premium for households up to 150% of the federal poverty level, with partial help up to 165%, on top of federal subsidies. Note: a 2025 federal rule bars federal premium subsidies from covering the portion of a premium attributed to gender-affirming care; check coveredca.com for how this affects your quote.

File an insurance complaint

The rules in detail

Rules for adultsNo state restriction. Most community clinics and Planned Parenthood affiliates prescribe hormones on an informed consent basis: you discuss risks and…

No state restriction. Most community clinics and Planned Parenthood affiliates prescribe hormones on an informed consent basis: you discuss risks and benefits with the prescriber and sign a consent form, with no therapist letter required. Telehealth prescribing is legal statewide.

If you have no insurance and little money, in rough order of what to try:

  1. Apply for Medi-Cal (free for adults up to about 138% of the federal poverty level; see below). It covers hormones, labs, and surgery.
  2. Go to a community health center (federally qualified health center). They charge on a sliding scale, many run informed-consent hormone programs, and their pharmacies often sell generics at cost. Find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
  3. Planned Parenthood affiliates offer sliding-scale hormone care; several start by telehealth.
  4. Point of Pride's HRT Access Fund pays for 18 months of telehealth hormone care each year (applications in May).
  5. For the medications themselves, generic spironolactone runs about $5 to $10 a month and generic estradiol tablets about $13 to $35 with a GoodRx coupon; Cost Plus Drugs also carries estradiol tablets at cost. Testosterone prices vary more; ask the pharmacy about cash price versus insurance.
[1][16][27][28][30]
Rules for under 18Legal. California's shield law (SB 107, 2022) bars state courts and agencies from cooperating with other states' attempts to punish families or…

Legal. California's shield law (SB 107, 2022) bars state courts and agencies from cooperating with other states' attempts to punish families or providers for gender-affirming care, and protects medical records from out-of-state subpoenas. Care for minors follows clinical guidelines and requires parental consent. Some Planned Parenthood affiliates see 16- and 17-year-olds with a parent and a readiness letter (Northern California, California Central Coast); most other affiliates are 18 and older. Santa Clara County's Gender Health Center and several LGBTQ community health centers see all ages.

[8][16][17][15]
Laws and court cases3 laws

Sources

31 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Transgender, gender diverse, and intersex (TGI) careCalifornia Department of Managed Health Care, Official page. accessed
  2. All Plan Letter 25-014, Gender-affirming services (Medi-Cal managed care)California Department of Health Care Services, Regulation. accessed
  3. Policy Letter 24-03, SB 923 gender-affirming careCalifornia Department of Health Care Services, Regulation. accessed
  4. Do you qualify for Medi-Cal? Eligibility chartCalifornia Department of Health Care Services, Official page. accessed
  5. The 2025-26 California Spending Plan, Health (Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for undocumented adults, premiums, dental)Legislative Analyst's Office, Official page. accessed
  6. 2026 state premium subsidy programCovered California, Official page. accessed
  7. SB 923, TGI Inclusive Care ActCalifornia Legislative Information, Law. accessed
  8. SB 107, Gender-affirming health care shield lawCalifornia Legislative Information, Law. accessed
  9. Gender Health SFSan Francisco Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
  10. Healthy San FranciscoSan Francisco Department of Public Health, Official page. accessed
  11. Transgender services and the Office of Transgender InitiativesCity and County of San Francisco, Official page. accessed
  12. PrEP Assistance ProgramCalifornia Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS, Official page. accessed
  13. ADAP eligibilityCalifornia Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS, Official page. accessed
  14. Family PACTCalifornia Department of Health Care Services, Official page. accessed
  15. Gender Health CenterCounty of Santa Clara Health System, Official page. accessed
  16. Gender-affirming hormone therapyPlanned Parenthood Northern California, Organization. accessed
  17. Gender-affirming carePlanned Parenthood California Central Coast, Organization. accessed
  18. Gender-affirming care servicesPlanned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Organization. accessed
  19. Gender-affirming care, Highland Park Health CenterPlanned Parenthood Los Angeles, Organization. accessed
  20. Insurance and paymentPlanned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, Organization. accessed
  21. Gender-affirming carePlanned Parenthood Mar Monte, Organization. accessed
  22. Healthcare servicesLyon-Martin Community Health Services, Organization. accessed
  23. Transgender Health ProgramSt. John's Community Health, Organization. accessed
  24. LGBTQ servicesFamily Health Centers of San Diego, Organization. accessed
  25. Gender Health CenterOrganization. accessed
  26. Oakland LGBTQ Community CenterOrganization. accessed
  27. Find a Health CenterHealth Resources and Services Administration, Official page. accessed
  28. HRT Access FundPoint of Pride, Organization. accessed
  29. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed
  30. Spironolactone and estradiol cash pricesGoodRx, Community. accessed
  31. Trans Health ProjectAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed