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Surgeons Who Accept Medicaid for Top Surgery
Medicaid is a state-run health insurance program that provides payment for medical services for low-income citizens. The map below shows which states have have clarified that the state Medicaid program covers transition-related care.
Important Note: Even in states not listed here, transgender exclusions in Medicaid plans may violate the Affordable Care Act and other federal and state laws. - National Center for Transgender Equality
If you live in California: This guide will help you understand the procedural steps to appeal a health care denial for health care plans that are managed by Medi-Cal.
If you live in New York: This guide [PDF] will help you navigate getting Medicaid coverage for Top Surgery in New York.
How to Proceed With Medicaid
1. Your primary care provider (PCP) writes a letter of medical necessity and requests a referral to a surgeon.
2. If approved, Medicaid will send the referral along to the surgeon, and the surgeon's office will contact you about your consultation date.
3. The surgeon will request a medical release from your PCP, a letter of recommendation from a therapist, and prior authorization from Medicaid for surgery. (Depending on your age and medical history, the surgeon may also order lab tests, a chest X-ray and a mammogram.)
The following surgeons accept state Medicaid for Top Surgery:
Featured Surgeons
California (Medi-Cal)
Gender Confirmation Center
The Gender Confirmation Center is a San Francisco–based, multi-surgeon practice founded in 2013 by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Scott Mosser. The practice focuses heavily on gender-affirming top surgery, offering procedures such as double-incision, peri-areolar, and keyhole, as well as less common incision types such as fishmouth and lollipop. They are an early adopter of sensory nerve preservation techniques in double-incision top surgery, which aims to improve the return of chest and nipple sensation after surgery. The practice maintains a dedicated insurance advocacy team that has secured coverage for over 90% of their patients, helping make top surgery more accessible. Throughout the top-surgery process, the team emphasizes informed consent, trans-competent communication, and a highly affirming environment for local and out-of-town patients alike.
Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, the Gender Confirmation Center is a multi-surgeon practice focused on gender-affirming top surgery for trans and gender-diverse patients. They are early adopters of sensory nerve preservation in double-incision top surgery, and provide affirming, informed-consent–based care from consultation through recovery.
Gender Confirmation Center
450 Sutter St, Ste 1000
San Francisco, California 94108
855-398-7778
www.genderconfirmation.com
Board-certified; WPATH members; FREE in-person or virtual consultations; use informed consent (no letter requirement); wait list 2-3 months following consult.
- Medical Financing
- Private / Employer Insurance
- Medicaid (some CA plans)
- Medicare
Dr. Lee is a Johns Hopkins–trained, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills specializing in top surgery for trans men and nonbinary patients. He performs both double incision and peri-areolar techniques, with surgical planning tailored to each patient’s anatomy, chest proportions, and transition goals to create natural-looking masculine chest contours. More »
Fellowship-trained plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, in-network with Blue Shield of CA.
Dr. Johnson Lee, MD
433 N Camden Dr., Ste 500
Beverly Hills, California 90210
310-550-2200
www.drjohnsonlee.com
Accepts insurance and some California Medicaid plans on a case-by-case basis; in-network with Blue Shield of California; $250 in-person and virtual consultations (fee waived for in-network patients); wait times are 2 weeks for consult, surgery dates 4-6 weeks later.
Dr. Bene is a board-certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and the Director of Gender Affirmation Surgery at Stanford Medicine. He is fellowship-trained in Advanced Gender Affirmation Surgery and specializes in top surgery. He is one of only a handful of surgeons offering Sensory Nerve Preservation, a technique designed to improve sensory outcomes. More »
Director of Gender Affirmation Surgery at Stanford, offers Sensory Nerve Preservation.
Dr. Nicholas Bene, MD
Stanford Health Care
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic
1000 Welch Rd.
Palo Alto, California 94304
650-723-7001
stanfordhealthcare.org
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, Medicaid, Medicare; wait time 1-2 months for consult, 3-6 months for surgery.
Align Surgical Associates
Founded in 2018, Align Surgical Associates is a multi-surgeon, gender-affirming surgical practice with offices in San Francisco and Santa Monica, California, dedicated exclusively to the care of transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse patients. Top surgery is a major focus of the practice: their surgeons offer a range of techniques, including double-incision with nipple grafts, peri-areolar/keyhole, inverted-T/anchor and buttonhole approaches. Consultations are used to review goals, anatomy and technique options in detail, and the care team guides patients through pre-operative preparation and a structured recovery plan. The environment is intentionally designed as a “sanctuary” and home away from home, with all staff specifically trained in the nuanced techniques and support needs associated with gender-affirming, trauma-aware care from first contact through long-term follow-up.
Founded in 2018, Align Surgical Associates is a multi-surgeon, gender-affirming surgical practice in San Francisco and Los Angeles that devotes its work to trans, non-binary and gender-diverse patients. For top surgery, the team offers a full range of masculinizing chest procedures—double-incision, keyhole/peri-areolar, inverted-T and buttonhole—delivered in a highly supportive, sanctuary-like environment with staff specifically trained in gender-affirming care.
Align Surgical Associates Inc.
2299 Post St, Ste 207
San Francisco, California 94115
415-530-5335
www.alignsurgical.com
Board-certified (except Dr. Jedrzejewski, who is board eligible); WPATH members; use informed consent (no letter requirement); wait list 3-6 months following consult.
- Medical Financing
- Private / Employer Insurance
- Medicaid (some CA plans)
- Medicare
Dr. Lin is a fellowship-trained Plastic Surgeon in San Francisco who performs Top Surgery. His expertise in microsurgical breast reconstruction has shaped his approach to gender-affirming care and led to the co-development of a novel nerve transfer technique designed to preserve chest sensation after Top Surgery. He joined the Buncke Clinic and the San Francisco Transgender Institute in 2017. More »
Fellowship-trained, exceptionally skilled plastic surgeon with deep expertise in gender surgery.
Dr. Walter Lin, MD
The Buncke Clinic
45 Castro St, Ste 121
San Francisco, California 94114
415-684-5206
www.buncke.org
Board-certified; WPATH member; in-person or phone consultations; accepts insurance and CA Medicaid; uses Informed consent (doesn't require a letter); wait list one month.
Connecticut
Dr. Chandler is a Harvard fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who has received specialty training in Top Surgery from some of the best experts in the field. Based in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Dr. Chandler provides personalized care for a diverse range of patients, up to 90% of whom are transgender or non-binary. More »
Specialty training in Top Surgery, Connecticut practice dedicated to gender-affirming care.
Dr. Laurel Chandler, MD
Chandler Plastic Surgery
777 Post Rd, Ste 304
Darien, Connecticut 06820
203-423-3132
www.topsurgeryconnecticut.com
Fellowship-trained; board-certified; WPATH member; accepts financing, insurance and CT Medicaid (Husky); no BMI limit; uses informed consent (no letter requirement); wait list 2-3 months; $200 consult fee.
Illinois
Dr. Loren Schechter, MD, FACS
Rush Gender Affirmation Surgery
1725 W. Harrison St.
Professional Building, Suite 818
Chicago, Illinois 60612
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare; no BMI limit; free initial phone consult; wait list 2 months.
More about Dr. Schechter »
Maryland
Dr. Gabriel Del Corral, MD, FACS
Medstar Center for Gender Affirmation
9105 Franklin Square Dr., Suite 214
Baltimore, Maryland 21237
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, Medicaid (Maryland* and DC only, *Maryland Physicians Care Medicaid excluded); in-person and virtual consultations; wait list 2-3 months.
More about Dr. Del Corral »
New Jersey
Dr. Marano is a board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon based in New York City. He is a co-founder of GAMMA (Gender Affirming Medical and Microsurgical Associates), where he provides safe, affirming, and expert surgical care for transgender and nonbinary individuals. If you are seeking Top Surgery in New York or New Jersey, Dr. Marano is an exceptional choice. More »
Highly skilled Top Surgery specialist in New York City & NJ.
Dr. Drew Marano, MD
GAMMA (Gender Affirming Medical and Microsurgical Associates)
200 South Orange Ave, Ste 295
Livingston, New Jersey 07039
201-449-1000
gammanyc.com
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance & some NJ Medicaid plans; wait list one month.
More about Dr. Marano »
Dr. Drew Marano, MD
GAMMA (Gender Affirming Medical and Microsurgical Associates)
374 W 11th St.
New York, New York 10014
201-449-1000
gammanyc.com
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance; wait list one month.
More about Dr. Marano »
Dr. Sean Herman, MD, FACS
The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction
1 Bay Ave, Ste 4
Montclair, New Jersey 07042
833-598-2417
www.advancedreconstruction.com
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, New Jersey Medicaid and Medicare; wait list one month.
More about Dr. Herman »
New York
Dr. Rachel Bluebond-Langner, MD
NYU Plastic Surgery Associates
222 East 41st St., 7th Flr.
New York, NY 10017
WPATH member; accepts insurance and Medicaid (Amida Care plans only); BMI limit of 40.
More about Dr. Bluebond-Langner »
Oregon
Dr. Jens Berli, MD
Dr. Juliana Hansen, MD
Dr. Blair Peters, MD
Dr. Monica Llado-Farrulla, MD
Oregon Health & Science University
Transgender Health Program
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic,
South Waterfront
3303 S. Bond Avenue, 5th Flr.
Portland, Oregon 97239
Board-certified; WPATH members; accept insurance, Medicaid (OHP only) and Medicare.
Pennsylvania
Dr. Kathy Rumer, DO
Rumer Cosmetics
105 Ardmore Ave.
Ardmore, PA, 19003
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, Medicaid and financing; wait list 2-4 months; $75 consult fee.
More about Dr. Rumer »
Texas
Dr. Dany Hanna, DO
Hanna Gender Center
255 Lebanon Rd, Suite 112
Frisco, Texas, 75036
WPATH member; accepts insurance, out-of-state Medicaid (not Texas Medicaid), Tricare and financing; $200 consult fee; wait list: 1 month for consult, 3 months for surgery date.
More about Dr. Hanna »
Washington DC
Dr. Gabriel Del Corral, MD, FACS
Medstar Center for Gender Affirmation
110 Irving St NW
Washington, DC 20010
Board-certified; WPATH member; accepts insurance, Medicaid (Maryland* and DC only, *Maryland Physicians Care Medicaid excluded); in-person and virtual consultations; wait list 2-3 months.
More about Dr. Del Corral »
All Washington, D.C. Surgeons »
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Browse All Surgeons - Surgeons Who Take: Insurance - Medicare - Medicaid
References
Which U.S. States' Medicaid Programs Provide Coverage for Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy and Gender-Affirming Genital Surgery for Transgender Patients?: A State-by-State Review
Zaliznyak M, Jung EE, Bresee C, Garcia MM. J Sex Med. 2021 Feb;18(2):410-422.
Our findings show that only 25 of 51 (49%) include Gender Affirming Surgery as covered benefits. Our experience suggests that the process to confirm coverage can be especially time-consuming and frustrating for patients.
Last updated: 04/13/26