Trans Resource Navigator

Gender-affirming care in District of Columbia

Care for adults
Allowed
Care for people under 18
Allowed
DC Medicaid pays for hormones
Covered
DC Medicaid pays for surgery
Covered
Private plans must cover care
Yes, by law

Gender-affirming care is legal in DC for adults and minors, and a 2022 shield law keeps DC government from helping other states punish patients or providers. DC Medicaid covers hormones and surgery, and insurers regulated by DC may not exclude transition care. Care for minors has become harder to find: Children's National Hospital stopped prescribing gender-affirming medications in August 2025 because of federal legal risk.

Draft from official sources, September 24, 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.

  • 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

  • Whitman-Walker Health[8]

    DC's largest LGBTQ health center. Informed-consent hormones for adults, a youth program (ages 10-24), surgery navigation, PrEP, HIV care, behavioral health, insurance navigation, and free legal services. Locations at 1377 R St NW and 1201 Sycamore Dr SE.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients
    202-745-7000

  • Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, Carol Whitehill Moses Center[9]

    Lists gender-affirming care (in person and telehealth), STD testing, and HIV services. Minimum age for hormone care not stated; call to confirm.

    • Cost varies
    • Telehealth
    1225 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002

  • HIPS[10]

    Harm reduction organization with a clinic offering hormones, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and medication care, plus a 24/7 hotline (1-800-676-4477) and supply delivery.

    • Free
    1-800-676-4477

  • La Clínica del Pueblo[11]

    Community health center serving the Latino community, with Spanish-language primary care, behavioral health, and LGBTQ programs.

    • Sliding scale
    • Community reported
    Languages: es, en

  • Find a community health center (HRSA)[12]

    Official locator for federally qualified health centers, which see you regardless of insurance and charge on a sliding scale.

    • Sliding scale
    • Accepts Medicaid
    • Sees uninsured patients

  • Point of Pride HRT Access Fund[13]

    National fund that pays for telehealth hormone therapy for people who cannot afford it.

    • Free

  • Genderbands grants[14]

    Small grants for surgery and other transition costs.

    • Free

  • Trans Health Project (Advocates for Trans Equality)[15]

    Free guides and templates for appealing insurance denials of gender-affirming care.

    • Free

Paying for care

Medicaid (DC Medicaid)[5][8][6]

DC Medicaid covers gender-affirming hormones and surgery. For surgery above the waist, Whitman-Walker reports that DC Medicaid requires one letter from a behavioral health clinician and one from your medical provider. For genital surgery, it requires letters from two independent behavioral health clinicians. Prior authorization is required. Apply through District Direct or at an Income Maintenance Administration (IMA) service center ((202) 727-5355 to find one).

Apply for coverage

Private insurance[3][2][4]

D.C. Code § 31-2231.11(c) bars insurers from limiting coverage because of gender identity or expression. The Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) says exclusions like "sex change" or "sex transformation" are prohibited, and that medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria, including surgery, is a covered benefit. Insurers must judge medical necessity using the WPATH Standards of Care (Bulletin 13-IB-01-30/15, revised February 27, 2014).

This covers plans sold or delivered in DC (individual, small group, large group). It does not cover self-funded employer (ERISA) plans or federal employee plans. If your DC-regulated plan denies care, appeal and file a complaint with DISB.

File an insurance complaint

The rules in detail

Rules for adultsNo DC restriction. Whitman-Walker Health follows an informed consent model for adults 18 and older, so no therapist letter is needed to start…

No DC restriction. Whitman-Walker Health follows an informed consent model for adults 18 and older, so no therapist letter is needed to start hormones. Planned Parenthood's DC center and HIPS also list hormone care. Telehealth prescribing is legal.

If you have no insurance and little money, in rough order:

  1. Apply for DC Medicaid. It covers hormones, labs, and surgery.
  2. Go to Whitman-Walker or another community health center. They charge on a sliding scale and help with insurance enrollment. Find others at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
  3. Point of Pride's HRT Access Fund pays for telehealth hormone care (applications each May).
[8][9][10][12][13][5]
Rules for under 18Legal in DC. No DC law bans or limits gender-affirming care for minors, and the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022 bars DC agencies from…

Legal in DC. No DC law bans or limits gender-affirming care for minors, and the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022 bars DC agencies from helping other states investigate or punish anyone for providing, receiving, or helping with gender-affirming care. DC also lets people sue anyone who wins a judgment against them elsewhere over this care.

Access is limited in practice. Children's National Hospital stopped prescribing gender-affirming medications (puberty blockers and hormones) on August 30, 2025, citing escalating legal and regulatory risks. Its mental health and support services continue. Whitman-Walker serves young people ages 10 to 24. For people under 18, it requires parental consent and a mental health assessment before starting medication. Call ahead to confirm current availability.

[1][7][8]
Laws and court cases2 laws

Sources

15 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. D.C. Law 24-257, Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022Council of the District of Columbia, Law. accessed
    “(7) Providing, consenting to, receiving, or facilitating gender-affirming care.”
  2. D.C. Code § 31-2231.11, Unfair discriminationCouncil of the District of Columbia, Law. accessed
  3. Bulletin 13-IB-01-30/15 (revised), Prohibition of Discrimination in Health Insurance Based on Gender Identity or ExpressionDC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, Official page. accessed
    “it is the position of the Department that treatment for gender dysphoria, including gender reassignment surgeries, is a covered benefit”
  4. Consumer Services Division (complaints)DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, Official page. accessed
  5. Medicaid coverage of transgender-related health careMovement Advancement Project, Organization. accessed
    “District of Columbia Medicaid policy explicitly includes coverage”
  6. MedicaidDC Department of Health Care Finance, Official page. accessed
    “You may call (202) 727-5355 to locate your nearest IMA Service Center.”
  7. Gender Development ProgramChildren's National Hospital, Organization. accessed
    “In light of escalating legal and regulatory risks to Children's National, our providers, and the families we serve, we are discontinuing the prescription of gender-affirming medications. This change went into effect on August 30, 2025.”
  8. Transgender CareWhitman-Walker Health, Organization. accessed
    “If you are at least 18 years old, we aim to follow an informed consent model for providing transgender health care”
  9. Carol Whitehill Moses CenterPlanned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, Organization. accessed
    “Gender-Affirming Care, offered in-person and telehealth”
  10. HIPSOrganization. accessed
    “Medication, HCV Clinic, HIV/HCV Testing, Hormones, and Wellness Checks”
  11. La Clínica del PuebloOrganization. accessed
  12. Find a Health CenterHealth Resources and Services Administration, Official page. accessed
  13. HRT Access FundPoint of Pride, Organization. accessed
  14. GenderbandsOrganization. accessed
  15. Trans Health ProjectAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed