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Gender-affirming care in Vermont

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  • Page changed: Vermont Health Connect (2026-10-05) · #188
Care for adults
Allowed
Care for people under 18
Allowed
Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care) pays for hormones
Covered
Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care) pays for surgery
Covered
Private plans must cover care
Yes, by law

Gender-affirming care is legal and protected for adults and minors in Vermont. State law requires Medicaid and state-regulated private health plans to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care, and shield laws (2023, expanded 2025) protect patients and providers from other states' investigations and lawsuits.

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

Paying for care

Medicaid (Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care))[3][5][6]

Since Act 15 of 2023, 8 V.S.A. § 4088m requires Medicaid and other health insurance plans to cover gender-affirming health care services that are medically necessary and clinically appropriate. Surgery (genital and chest) is covered with prior authorization under Health Care Administrative Rule 4.238 and DVHA's clinical criteria. Apply through Vermont Health Connect online, by phone, or with an in-person assister.

Apply for coverage

Private insurance[3][7][8]

8 V.S.A. § 4088m requires individual and group health plans regulated by Vermont, and state employee plans, to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care included in the state's essential health benefits benchmark. Self-funded employer plans are federally regulated and may not be covered. If your plan denies care, appeal with the plan, get free help from the Health Care Advocate (1-800-917-7787), and file a complaint with the Department of Financial Regulation.

File an insurance complaint

The rules in detail

Rules for adultsNo state restrictions. Vermont law defines gender-affirming health care as a "legally protected health care activity" and a legal right.

No state restrictions. Vermont law defines gender-affirming health care as a "legally protected health care activity" and a legal right. Providers cannot be disciplined by Vermont licensing boards for providing it, and malpractice insurers cannot raise premiums for it.

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

  1. Apply for Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care) through Vermont Health Connect. It must cover medically necessary gender-affirming care.
  2. Go to a community health center (FQHC) such as Community Health Centers of Burlington, which charges on a sliding scale. Find others at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
  3. Use the Vermont Diversity Health Project directory to find affirming prescribers near you, filtered for hormone therapy.
  4. Telehealth: Plume serves Vermont. Point of Pride's HRT Access Fund pays for telehealth hormone care for people who qualify.
  5. If a plan denies care, call the Health Care Advocate HelpLine (1-800-917-7787), free.
[1][2][3][11][9][8][15]
Rules for under 18Legal. Vermont has no ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and its shield laws cover care for people of any age.

Legal. Vermont has no ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and its shield laws cover care for people of any age. Care for minors generally requires parental consent. The UVM Children's Hospital Transgender Youth Program in Burlington offers counseling, puberty blockers, menstrual suppression, and gender-affirming hormones following AAP, Endocrine Society, and WPATH guidelines, and helps patients move to adult care at 18.

Act 20 of 2025 extended the shield law to bar Vermont agencies from cooperating with federal investigations into legally protected care performed in Vermont (except under court order), and lets prescribers and pharmacists ask that their names be left off gender-affirming prescription labels.

[1][4][10]
Laws and court cases4 laws
  • 1 V.S.A. § 150 (Act 15 of 2023): Definitions of gender-affirming health care services and legally protected health care activity
  • 8 V.S.A. § 4088m: Required coverage of gender-affirming health care by Medicaid and health insurance plans
  • Act 14 of 2023 (H.89): Shield law protecting legally protected health care activity from out-of-state litigation, subpoenas, and extradition
  • Act 20 of 2025 (S.28): Shield law expansion (federal non-cooperation, prescriber name removal, interstate reciprocity)

Sources

15 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Act 14 of 2023 (H.89), act summaryVermont Office of Legislative Counsel, Law. accessed
    “reaffirms that access to such services is a legal right in Vermont. The act declares interference with legally protected health care activity ... against the public policy of Vermont”
  2. Act 15 of 2023 (S.37), act summaryVermont Office of Legislative Counsel, Law. accessed
    “prohibits a health care provider from being subject to professional disciplinary action for providing or assisting in the provision of legally protected health care activity”
  3. Act 15 of 2023, as enacted (8 V.S.A. § 4088m)Vermont General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “"Health insurance plan" means Medicaid and any other public health care assistance program, any individual or group health insurance policy ... A health insurance plan shall provide coverage for gender-affirming health care services that are medically necessary and clinically appropriate”
  4. Act 20 of 2025 (S.28), act summaryVermont Office of Legislative Counsel, Law. accessed
    “It adds federal investigations and proceedings to an existing prohibition on public agencies and officials cooperating in an interstate investigation ... allows prescribers and pharmacists to request their names be removed from fulfilled prescriptions for medications for gender-affirming or reproductive health care services”
  5. Clinical Criteria, Gender Affirmation Surgery for the Treatment of Gender Dysphoria (last review Dec 17, 2024)Department of Vermont Health Access, Official page. accessed
    “Vermont Medicaid Health Care Administrative Rule (HCAR) 4.238 includes a list of covered gender affirmation procedures”
  6. Vermont Health ConnectState of Vermont, Official page. accessed
  7. File a Complaint or Seek Help and Other AssistanceVermont Department of Financial Regulation, Official page. accessed
    “File a complaint about an insurance company or agent doing business in Vermont, including ... major medical”
  8. Vermont Office of the Health Care AdvocateVTLawHelp.org, Organization. accessed
    “Call 1-800-917-7787 to speak with a health care advocate”
  9. LGBTQ+ HealthCommunity Health Centers of Burlington, Organization. accessed
    “Primary and preventive care for LGBTQ+ individuals, partners, and their families”
  10. Transgender Youth ProgramUniversity of Vermont Health, Organization. accessed
    “The Transgender Youth Program offers education, support and medical treatment to gender-diverse youth and their families.”
  11. Vermont Diversity Health ProjectPride Center of Vermont, Organization. accessed
  12. Planned Parenthood of Northern New EnglandOrganization. accessed
  13. Point of PrideOrganization. accessed
  14. GenderBandsOrganization. accessed
  15. Find a Health CenterHRSA, Official page. accessed