Frequently accepted plans with
Many more!
Intake appointment (30 min)
Your provider will review your medical and gender affirming history with you.
We will ask you for your previous provider so that we may coordinate having your medical records sent over to our practice.
Your provider will order blood work, if needed.2
$100 cash pay
$0-40 average copay1 for insured patients*
2 week follow up (20 min)
Your provider will review the results of your blood work, your medical records, and discuss informed consent3.
Your provider will create a care plan that is unique to you and answer questions you may have about care4.
$100 cash pay
$0-40 average copay1 for insured patients*
Check-in appointments every 3 months5 (20 mins)
Follow up appointments may occur with your provider every 1-3 months to ensure that you are meeting your gender affirming goals. If medically appropriate, your provider may discuss adjustments to your dosage and care plan as well
$100 cash pay
$0-40 average copay1 for insured patients*
Additional information
* This an example of the cadence most care plans tend to follow. However, your care plan and cadence may vary based on your individual medical history and other factors.
(1) Co-pay costs will depend on your individual insurance plan, but are typically in the $0-$35 range per appointment. You can see a copay estimate if you begin to book an appointment with Circle Medical.
(2) Your provider will review your most recent blood work, especially if it is within the last 3 months, and determine if additional blood work is necessary. Blood work requirements will be determined by your provider during an appointment. Costs will vary based on lab and blood work required.
(3) Circle Medical does not always require a therapist letter in order to confirm informed consent. Please read through the FAQ for more details.
(4) PLEASE NOTE: A hormone prescription, or any other medications, are not always guaranteed. Your primary care provider will review your past medical history and blood work to determine which care options are right for you.
(5) This is Circle Medical's standard practice for ongoing care.
If you want to verify if your plan is covered with us, select an appointment time and create an account to submit your insurance. You will not be required to book an appointent.
Want to know more about pricing? Read our FAQs
We can't accept patients with Medicaid or Medi-Cal insurance.
In the last 180 days, 1,759 patients have given their Hormone Therapy providers an average rating of 4.98 / 5, with 97% of respondents giving a 4 or a 5.
avg. copay
$149
Verify insurance
$109*
$40*
*Over the last 12 months, 75% of insured Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy patients have paid $40 or less. Costs are estimates and may change according to your deductible. For a definite price, call your insurance company.
Many telemedicine providers will only treat you for hormone therapy - but you and your health are more complex than any one issue.
At Circle Medical, we treat the whole patient. This means the next time you need to discuss any Primary Care-related issue, you’re already where you need to be.
As a full-service, adult-only, primary care practice, Circle Medical's team of board-certified providers specialize in treating the whole you.
The Circle Medical Difference:
100% board-certified primary care providers
Takes into account your full health picture
Compassionate, comprehensive, evidence-based care
25+ clinics and an easy-to-use app
Board Certified, Family Medicine, 17 years of experience
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Board Certified, Primary Care, 7 years of experience
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Board Certified, Family Medicine, 20 years of experience
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Held to an exceptionally high standard of evidence-based care.
Who is a good candidate for HRT?
Gender-affirming hormone therapy aims to align an individual’s characteristics with their gender identity with the use of hormones.
Our practice provides both masculinizing and feminizing gender affirming care, when medically appropriate, for adults 18+. Receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy is a personal decision.
Our goal is to make sure that all people 18+ who want to do so can access safe, gender-affirming care from experienced clinicians.
If you decide that gender affirming hormone therapy is right for you, and is clinically indicated, your provider would assist with:
Feminizing hormone therapy with estrogen, progesterone, or a hormone blocker (such as spironolactone or finasteride).
Masculinizing hormone therapy with the use of testosterone. These could be in the form of pills, topical creams, or a self injection. Your provider will assist you in deciding the right care plan for you.
How can I learn more about Circle Medical’s trans care?
If you have questions and would like to learn more about your options, we recommend booking an intake appointment to speak with a provider. We accept most PPO insurance plans and do not require a membership, so that it's easier for you to meet with a provider.
As a patient, you will have unlimited access to message your provider and your care team through our secure in-app chat.
Prescriptions for hormones (such as testosterone, estradiol, or progesterone), hormone blockers (such as spironolactone or finasteride), hair loss medications (such as finasteride), and erectile function medications are all available through our practice and may be prescribed if they are appropriate for your specific situation..
We treat over 50,000 patients every month. Here's what they have to say.
Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
Yes, anyone who is 18+ and permanently resides in a state that we service is eligible for gender-affirming hormone therapy through our practice.
There may be instances where your provider may recommend that you see a specialist for gender affirming hormone therapy based on your history. The decision to provide care is always up to the providers discretion
During your first appointment, your provider will establish your medical history and ask whether you have had labs done.
If you don't have labwork done yet, your provider will place a lab order in to a location near you. Your results will be uploaded to the app automatically.
Some providers may request that you obtain a letter from a therapist indicating that you have spoken with them about gender-affirming care. You can upload this letter via the app. Note that this letter request is at the provider's discretion.
You can use our in-app chat to message your care team and provider as you complete the labwork. Once you have the needed items indicated by your provider and a completed first appointment with Circle Medical, you are ready to begin hormone therapy.
If medically indicated, your prescriptions will be sent to a pharmacy near you.
You will then follow up with your provider at an agreed upon cadence to see how your care plan is going and to ensure you are meeting your gender affirming goals.
Circle Medical practices care in alignment with WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) Standards of Care. A therapist letter is not always a requirement in order for patients to have access to gender affirming care.
Often, we will not require a letter from a therapist or mental health professional prior to beginning gender affirming care. However, there are select times in which we may ask for a letter from a therapist, or mental health professional. For example, we may ask for a letter if a patient is unsure of their gender affirming goals and/or is new to exploring gender affirming therapy and is unsure whether starting gender affirming care is right for them.
Our goal is to improve access to high quality and delightful primary care. Gender affirming care is within the scope of primary care and we are focused on creating a safe environment for people to receive care.
To see a list of states, please start booking an appointment. You will be able to select from a list of all of the states where we are currently practicing.
You must be currently residing in the state of care as well as have your primary pharmacy be in that same state in order to be a patient at our practice.
The decision to start your transition is a deeply personal one. We recommend booking a video appointment to speak with one of our experienced clinicians to get your questions answered. All of our clinicians are primary care practitioners, which means that they are experienced in providing care beyond gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Your clinician will be able to discuss your care options with you and answer any questions you may have, about gender-affirming care or about any other health topic you may want to discuss in a safe environment.
Your provider will be able to place a lab order to a lab near you to get bloodwork and hormone monitoring completed. Your results will be uploaded automatically to the app, where you can view and download them at any time.
Providers
Our providers are primary care providers (MD's, DO's, NP's, and PA's) who have experience in providing gender-affirming care and behavioral health care. They are allies and proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We encourage you to read more about each provider on their profiles above!
You do not need to book your appointment with a doctor. You can book your appointment with any provider that we have available. Our providers all work closely together to make sure that we are providing the same excellent standard of care to all patients regardless of which provider you book your appointment with. The type of provider you book with will not limit the type of care or medications that you are able to be prescribed.
The first intake appointment is 30 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 20 minutes each.
Billing
We accept most major PPO plans and we do not have any membership fees or ongoing membership requirements. The only cost that you have from our practice is the cost per appointment (see below for appointment cost estimates).
Your other costs include the cost of the medication(s) at the pharmacy (we recommend using GoodRx coupons to lower this cost), and the cost of any lab work or hormone testing at the lab.
With Insurance
$5 - $50 average copay* 1st appointment
$5 - $50 average copay* 2nd appointment
$10 - $100* total, with $5 - $50* monthly follow-ups once stable.
*Note: Your specific copay is dependent on your health insurance coverage. We typically see patients with copays of around $0-$50 per appointment, but this can be higher if you have a high-deductible plan and have not yet hit your deductible this year. To confirm your specific copay estimate, you can click to book an appointment and you will be asked to input your insurance information so that you can receive your cost estimate before confirming the appointment.
Our ability to estimate your costs is dependent on your healthcare insurance's database, so we do not guarantee that the estimate you see is the exact amount you will be billed. For the most accurate estimate of your per-appointment costs, we recommend calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card to ask your insurance plan what your primary care appointment costs are.
Without Insurance (out of network or uninsured)
$100 per appointment
Your specific follow-up appointment timeline may vary depending on what your provider recommends.
Insurance
We contract with most PPO insurance plans. If you are a California Bay Area resident, we also work with a small number of HMO plans.
To verify if we work with your insurance, simply start booking an appointment online. You will be prompted to enter your insurance details and will receive eligibility results instantly as well as an estimate of your appointment cost prior to confirming your appointment.
Some PPO plans that we currently work with are:
Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, and United Healthcare.
Plans that we cannot work with are:
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide care for patients who have Medi-Cal or Medicaid insurance. This is because we are not licensed Medi-Cal or Medicaid providers, so we are not able to provide care, even if these patients choose to pay cash instead of use their insurance. If you have Medi-Cal or Medicaid, please do not book an appointment with us, as we will be unable to provide care even if you do not enter your insurance information. We apologize about this.
Other
For a detailed breakdown of what you need for your first appointment with Circle Medical, read the article below:
How to Prepare for Your First Appointment
Feminizing hormone therapy is a medical intervention that helps individuals match their physical attributes more closely with their gender identity. This typically involves medications such as estrogen, progesterone or hormone blockers.
Estrogen is a hormone predominantly found in females. Estrogen triggers the growth of secondary sexual traits. Changes may include the development of breasts, a decrease in muscle mass and redistribution of body fat. Meanwhile, hormone blockers slow the production of testosterone, minimizing its influence on the body. This helps to reduce physical characteristics typically associated with males.
Remember to regularly consult your health care provider throughout feminizing hormone therapy. They can help monitor progress, manage side effects and adjust treatment as needed.
Masculinizing hormone therapy is a medical intervention that helps individuals match their physical attributes more closely with their gender identity. Masculinizing hormone therapy uses testosterone in the form of pills, topical creams or self-injection.
Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the emergence of secondary sex characteristics typically associated with males. Changes such as growth of facial and body hair, increased muscle mass and voice deepening may occur when taking testosterone.
Remember to consult your health care provider throughout your masculinizing hormone therapy. They can monitor progress, help manage side effects and adjust your treatment as necessary.
If you’re interested in starting hormone replacement therapy, finding a primary care provider will be the first step. Make sure to choose a provider that offers HRT and understands the needs of LGBTQ+ patients, like Circle Medical.
Once you find a provider, the first step will be an intake appointment. This involves reviewing your medical history with your provider, discussing your goals for HRT and having blood work ordered. You will then schedule a follow-up appointment where your provider will review your blood work with you and, if appropriate, prescribe the appropriate HRT medications.
It’s important to understand that hormone replacement therapy is an ongoing process that requires patience and an open dialogue with your health care provider. After starting HRT, you will have follow-up appointments to track progress, adjust dosage as necessary and discuss any changes or side effects you experience. By working with your health care provider, you can make significant steps to align your physical characteristics with your gender identity.
It can sometimes be difficult to access LGBTQ+-focused care, especially if you live in a remote or rural area. Fortunately, there are online solutions. Circle Medical is a full-stack primary care clinic that offers comprehensive LGBTQ+ care.
It’s easy to make an appointment to discuss HRT with a Circle Medical provider. You can make an online appointment that is convenient for your schedule and speak to a provider from the comfort of your home. Make an appointment with Circle Medical today to get started on your healthcare journey.
Full names have been changed in compliance with federal patient privacy laws.
View ProvidersI have nothing but good things to say. Very professional, detailed, and polite. The best experience I’ve ever had with a medical professional.
I appreciate it a lot with my follow ups and medication for my journey along the way.
Always friendly! I always feel comfortable talking to him and he asks me my thoughts on his treatment plans and allows it to be more of a collaborative process. I love it!
Ms. Smith has been the best PCP I have ever worked with. I'm very glad for both my physical and emotional health, she listens to every one of my concerns and ACTUALLY addresses them!
Very kind and informative. Absolutely one of the best interactions I have ever had with a health care provider.
I amso grateful to have found Dr. Mirza. She was warm, patient, wise, and always leaves me feeling seen and heard.
Daniela was great. She explained the process of care and path quite well. I felt seen, heard, and posessed self agency during the visit. I would highly recommend Daniela.
I love Dr Fontanilla. I have never felt so comfortable receiving gender affirming care before. thank you so much Dr Fontanilla!!!
What a phenomenal person Mia is. She was kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. I am grateful to her for her fantastic care and looking forward to talking further with her about my journey. Thanks Mia!!
She is awesome as always. She always make sure that I feel better and comfortable. She really takes good care of my health too. She does not just give me meds but made sure that I'd be healthy. You can ask her anything without feeling anxious.
Awesome Doctor, Listens and Cares.
Elizabeth is amazing! She takes excellent care of me during appointments and in-between
My first time ever having a consultation about hormone therapy and Dr. Ibarra made it the best!
I am so happy with Dr. Lauren, she has been so understanding and compassionate towards my health and wellbeing. I would give her a 1000 star rating if it left me. Much Light, Love and Positivity to Dr. Lauren and all of the wonderful folks at Circle Medical
Excellent bedside manner honest and trustworthy. A fantastic Physician and a amazing ally to have throughout my transition journy. She will slow me down if its needed and i always feel shes doing her due dilligence in my case.
She has a level of care i need and i was pleasantly surprised at the depth of social concern she has. Im excited to continue working with her!
Katelyn was very helpful and provided a lot of great direction in our conversation. I felt like she genuinely cared about my medical needs, and was a great conversationalist, in addition to providing great care.
Love the convenience of the video consultations for refills on my ADHD medication!!! This is wonderful!!! Also love my health practitioner— he is fantastic!!! A++++++
1,000+ more reviews available upon request.
To see if your plan is in network, select a provider and time and create an account. You will be able to check if your plan is in network without having to confirm your appointment or enter any payment information.