Access gender-affirming care in a caring, emotionally safe environment.
Hormone Therapy
to your pharmacy
at home
in a safe space
We make healthcare delightful. For everyone.
Affirming environment
As allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, our physicians care about helping you feel your best and respect your pronouns.
Insurance accepted
We're in network with most PPO plans to keep things as affordable as possible for you.
Care from home
Enjoy the comfort of a 100% remote healthcare experience. Have appointments and chat with your care team from the app, then pick up your prescriptions nearby (or have them delivered).
Our providers deliver the latest in affirming and evidence-driven telemedicine.
All of our providers are vetted according to strict quality of care protocols.
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What is gender-affirming hormone therapy?
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 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, 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 treatment for you.
How can I learn more about Circle Medical’s trans care?
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.
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.
Comprehensive gender-affirming care & hormone therapy (masculinizing & feminizing) over video
STD/STI testing, PrEP treatment, hair loss medications, erectile function medications, and more
Major insurance plans accepted
Same-day or next-day appointment availability
No membership fees
The Cost of Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy at Circle Medical.
This is for anyone who has not previously received gender affirming hormone therapy.
Your provider will review your medical history and discuss care options with you.
You will also have bloodwork ordered to a facility near you.
Your provider will review the results of your blood work with you and they may discuss informed consent3.
Your provider will prescribe the appropriate hormone(s) and answer any questions you may have about care4.
You will check in with your provider after one month regarding your care. If needed, your provider will help make adjustments to your care plan.
You will meet with your provider every 3 months to ensure that you are meeting your gender affirming goals. If needed, your provider will help make adjustments to your dosage and care plan.
In your first year, your provider will also order lab work every 3 months.2
Co-Pay1
Co-Pay1
Co-Pay1
Co-Pay1
$100
$100
$100
$100
This is for anyone who has previously been on gender affirming hormone therapy and is looking to continue or restart their care with our practice.
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
Your provider will also write you a bridge prescription to maintain your care, if needed.**
Your provider will review the results of your blood work with you and they may discuss informed consent3.
Your provider will prescribe the appropriate hormone(s) and answer any questions you may have about care4.
You may meet with your provider every 3 months to ensure that you are meeting your gender affirming goals. If needed, your provider will help make adjustments to your dosage and care plan.
In your first year, your provider may also order lab work every 3 months.2
Co-Pay1
Co-Pay1
Co-Pay1
$100
$100
$100
* 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.
** For patients changing their healthcare provider to Circle Medical, we believe it is important to provide bridge prescriptions to patients who are currently on gender affirming hormone therapy and are in need of a refill. Please book with a provider today for more information”.
(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) Not always necessary, especially if your most recent lab work was within the past 3 months. Blood work requirements will be determined by your provider during the 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 treatment options are right for you.
(5) This is Circle Medical's standard practice for ongoing care.
In network with most PPO insurance plans
Don't take our word for it.
We treat over 20,000 patients every month. Here's what they have to say.
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It has been fast and easy. The clinicians are great and I found my primary care through this. I love how they are even knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ stuff which is exactly what I've been looking for
Briggs
No issues whatsoever, affordable gender hormone therapy and nice, professional people.
James
Circle Medical has been absolutely amazing to me. I have been a patient at Circle Medical for about 7 months now and the experience has just been awesome. From day 1 I have been welcomed with open arms. I do video visits right in the comfort of my own home, how convenient is that? My provider is awesome, so sweet and comforting and motivating.
Ronisha
Easy to use. Friendly provider. Easy to explain symptoms without judgement.
Felicia
Joining Circle Medical has saved my life. I was so lost and didn't know why or what was wrong with me. I took a chance and downloaded the app, and had an appointment in the comfort of my own home within a week. I'm now getting the help I always needed and it has been a game changer.
Emilia
This was my first experience using something like this and the entire process was very helpful. The staff responded promptly when I had questions and I absolutely love my provider. I was very nervous about the process but she made me feel comfortable and helped me feel like I wasn’t alone. I am so happy I found Circle Medical
Asia
I feel so comfortable with my provider and the whole process is super easy and manageable!
Melissa
My provider is awesome. She is always on time and prepared for my appointments. She is patient, listens to my concerns, and provides excellent care. The app is super easy to use and helps me keep track of my appointments and medical history. Definitely recommend!
Brett
They accepted my insurance, easy to schedule an appointment, easy to communicate with my doctor and they have been helping me with my health in the comfort of my home.
MJ
My provider was very helpful and made sure all my concerns are addressed. Also the team made sure that my expectations are met. Thanks to the team and looking forward of the outcome of my transition with their help.
Paulina
I always feel heard and comfortable during my appointments.
Marvin
Access and personal connection. The three providers I interacted with seem to have gone out of their way to make things easy for me. It was a seamless experience from assessment/consultation, labs, and medications; it all just worked. As an NP I now know I want to work for an organization like Circle.
Mike
This was super easy to use and understand I could do this in the comfort of my own home. I am very happy with the change that is coming in my life because of Circle Medical.
Kelly
It is a very fair and speedy service. My nurse practioner is a wonderful person, who listens and understands my issues. She has been nothing but kind and willing to help me. I would completely recommend Circle Medical to anyone who wants to be taken care of.
Sunia
It was a very personal and safe experience that made me feel absolutely comfortable talking about my personal problems, and helped me find a solution.
Moe
Circle Medical works around my crazy life. My meetings are fast but thorough and professional, and it's very affordable.
Mickey
Very professional and non-judgmental. System is very easy to use.
Lindsey
Very compassionate and professional service with great follow-up.
Don
Your care doesn't have to stop here.
As a fully-licensed primary care practice, we know that making someone truly heathy is about more than one type of care. Our 200+ providers offer annual checkups, on demand video appointments, specialist referrals, and more.
Get CareFrequently Asked Questions
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
Do new patients need to prepare anything for their first appointment at Circle Medical?
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
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Manage everything in our simple mobile app.
Appointment Summaries After Every Visit
Your provider will prepare a personalized plan for you after each visit including a diagnosis, recommendation, prescriptions and resources for additional reading.
Secure Chat with your Care Team
Have questions about your medical insurance? Notice new symptoms? Your Care Coordinator and doctor are available to talk using secure, HIPAA-compliant chat.
Same-day Availabilities
Talk to a provider about Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy today.
Book Appointment
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Read more about Hormone Therapy
Overview of feminizing hormone therapy
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.
Overview of masculinizing hormone therapy
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.
How to start online hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as an adult
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.
How to get a quality LGBTQ+ health care from the comfort of your home
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.