Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Louisiana and Maine

This has become a very challenging time for almost all Americans and especially for the LGBTQ+ community.  While we work to meet these challenges and support each other it is import to make sure we take care of our own health.  We are updating our #WellnessWednesday posts to document sites that are still compassionately offering Gender-affirming health services.  We are doing this work by states in alphabetical order.  This week we are summarizing the legal picture and health care resources for Louisiana and Maine for Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Care.

Many resources are, to their credit,  creating  comfortable places for routine and proactive health maintenance as well as interventionary health care.  We will try to highlight what is offered in each case.

If you still can’t find the health care you need, drop us a note on FB (B.UR.SLF LLC), instagram/ twitter @burslfllc or email burslfllc@gmail.com and we will see what we can do to help.

This week we are listing resources for Louisiana and Maine.

 

Louisiana

In Louisiana, a law passed in 2023 bans gender-affirming medical care, including surgeries, hormone therapies, and puberty-blocking medications, for transgender minors. This law went into effect on January 1, 2024. Minors currently receiving these treatments have until December 31, 2024, to wean off of them. The ban does not apply to social transitioning, such as changing names or pronouns, or to individuals over 18.

CrescentCare (Website – LGBTQ Health and Wellness and  Gender Care, FB – CrescentCare, IG – #crescentcare)

The focus of Transgender Health Services is increasing access to care and gender-affirming hormone therapy.  Adult and pediatric care is available at CrescentCare.  Louisiana is legally blocked though, from providing gender-affirming care to people < 18 yr old.  There are many routine and preventative care services available at CrescentCare to care for the entire community alone with focus programs for the transgender and LGBTQ communities including HIV and STD screening, prevention and treatment, specialized HIV, Hepatis B and Hepatitis C care, gynecological screenings and care.

Payment Options: CrescentCare accepts a variety of insurance plans, can help you enroll if you are uninsured and has financial assistance options like sliding discounted fees for people who who qualify, check the links for additional information.

Transgender Health Services at CrescentCare is located in New Orleans

Adult and pediatric patients are accepted at CrescentCare, Louisiana is legally blocked from providing gender-affirming care to people < 18 yr old. 

 

Lafayette Foundation Clinic (Website – Transgender Health, FB – ifclinic, IG – ifclinic)

Lafayette Foundation Clinic is a private cooperative of Louisiana-based medical providers with over 22 years of experience in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases.  They specialize in HIV and provide PrEP.  IFclinic   also provides a wide range of STD screening, prevention and treatment.  LFclinic alludes to transgener care on the transgender health site, but requests patients contact them for details

Payment Options: click on insurance resources for payment options and financial help.  

LFclinic is located in Lafayette, LA and now offers virtual medicine.

Services appear to be for adults.

 

NOLA Transgender Institute (Website – NOLA Transgender Institute, FB – none found, IG – none found)

NOLA Transgender Transgender Institute is a community site/ collaborative for transgender surgical and medical resources.  This multi-disciplinary collaborative offers hormone therapy, gender confirmation surgery, primary care, urology and gynecological services.  See a complete list of procedures at the link.  CrescentCare and NOLA Craniofacial both partner in the collaborative as well as many other specialists.

Payment Options:  contact individual collaborative member for information.

The collaborative is located in New Orleans

It appears that services are avaible to children, adolescents and adults, but may vary by collaborative member, so check with the collaborative members on the website for age limits on services.  

 

Planned Parenthood of Louisiana has (2) Planned Parenthood Health C. enters which are part of Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast – PPGC .  PPGC offers gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy at their sites through their Trans Care program at some of their Health Centers.  In Louisina gender-affirming HRT is offered at the New Orleans Health Center in New Orleans.  The New Orleans Health Center also offers telehealth, so you may be able to get HRT from the New Orleans Health Center from anywhere in Louisiana.  The  Baton Rouge Health Center in Baton Rouge can provide maintenance care if you are already taking HRT.  Both sites offer telehealth, so if you are not located near one of the Louisiana Health Center sites you can still get HRT remotely via telehealth.

PPGC offers other important services such as wellness screenings/ exams, reproductive health, prevention and treatment of infections, STIs and HIV at both health centers and by telehealth.

Payment Options:  Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check with the center for details .

The service is intended for adults 18+, but some PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17  andyou may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center.

 

Plume Clinic 100% On-Line Gender-Affirming and Trans-Focused Healthcare  (Website – Plume, FB – Plume Clinic, IG – @plume_clinic)

Plume Clinic offers 100% on-line gender-affirming and trans-focused care for your full authentic self.  They offer a wide range of services including gender-affirming hormone therapy transition support, sexual health services, mental health and everyday wellness.

Click the Louisiana link for Plume Clinic online services.

Payment Options:  Plume accepts self-pay in Alaska for their monthly membership plans.

Patients must be 19 years of age to get services from Plume

 

VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Louisiana

We no longer recommend VA Health Care and clinics as a safe space for LGBTQ people to receive health care.

 

NOLA Craniofacial  (Website – Gender Confirmation Surgery, FB –NOLA Craniofacial, IG – none found)

NOLA Craniofacial offers a wide variety of gender confirmation surgery including facial feminization or masculization, breast augmentation or chest masculization, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty,

Payment Options: no obvious payment options contact the provider for information

NOLA Craniofacial is located in New Orleans.

No lower age limits state for gender confirmation surgery, but it appears intended for adults, check with NOLA Craniofacial.  Also some screening required for +35 candidates. 

 

Hanna Gender Center (Website – Hanna Gender Center, FB – none, IG – @drdanyhanna)

Surgery options for transmen, transwomen and non-binary people.  Spa services to support your hair and skin goals

Payment Options: contact the provider.

Hanna Gender Center is located in Frisco Tx and serves greater Texas and across the US.

Services appear intended for adults. 

 

 

Maine

The good news for Maine is that their state laws are protective of transgender health care and there is also state available health care insurance to cover medically necessary procedures.  Maine has laws and policies in place to protect access to gender-affirming care, including protections for minors and healthcare providers. A shield law safeguards providers from out-of-state legal challenges for providing reproductive and gender-affirming care. Additionally, MaineCare covers medically necessary gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy.  Additionally the state of Maine Dept. of Health and Human Services has prepared the Gender-Affirming Care Coverage Guide to ensure you get the health care services that you need, and that you have the information necessary to make informed decisions.  Maine Queer Health has compiled a list of gender-affirming surgeons available to transgender people in Maine.

 

Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (Website – The Gender Clinic, FB –The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital , IG – #barbarabushchildrenshospital)

The Gender Clinic offers gender affirming hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and menstrual suppression, referrals to other service providers.

Payment options: Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital accepts a variety of insurance and financial assistance, click on the link billing and insurance for more information.

The Gender Clinic at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital is located in Bangor

The Gender Clinic is for Children and Adolescents.    

 

New England Gender C.A.R.E. (Website – Gender Care Consortium, FB – none found, IG – none found)

New England Gender C.A.R.E. is a consortium of health care providers with a common mission to To improve and support the health and well-being of gender diverse individuals across New England and beyond.

The health care providers in the consortium cover a wide selection of services for pediatric to adolescent to adult patients including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, gender affirming transition surgery, reproductive health including reproductive prevention, assisted reproduction, fertility preservation, HIV/STD prevention, testing and treatment, primary care, physical therapy, voice therapy, hair removal and many other services.

This appears to be a top-notch group of health care providers dedicated to improving the health and life of gender diverse individuals.

Payment Options:  contact individual  providers for details.  

Providers are located all over New England and appear to be spreading to beyond New England, some sevices were located in Virginia.

The New England Gender C.A.R.E Consortium members provide pediatric, adolescent and adult services, but the age of the individuals served varies by member, so check with individual consortium members on the website.     

 

Maine Family Planning (Website – LGBTQ Health Care, FB – Maine Family Planning , IG – @maine_family_planning)

Maine Family Planning include hormone therapy for 18+, reproductive health including birth control, HIV/STD prevention, screening and treatment, routine breast & gynecological screening, primary care (free yearly exam), physical therapy, voice therapy, hair removal and many other services.

Payment Options: a sliding scale based on household income is available, check the website at billing and financial services for further information.

Maine Family Planning has 18 locations around Maine (Maine Family Planning Locations) and Maine Family Planning has providers in our Lewiston, Augusta, Norway, Belfast, Presque Isle, and Waterville health centers who provide gender affirming healthcare services. Through our telehealth system, we usually can provide services to our patients from a site closer to their home

Hormone treatments are limited to 18+, check the clinic for age limitations on other services.  

  

Mabel Wadsworth Center (Website – Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy, FB – Mabel Wadsworth , IG – @mabel.wadsworth)

The Mabel Wadsworth Center offers hormone therapy, and referrals to other services and community resources.  There are a variety of other LGBTQ+ Health Services (Mabel Wadsworth LGBTQ HealthCare) including annual wellness exams and cancer screenings, reproductive health, HIV screening and STD screening and testing.

Payment Options: Mabel Wadsworth Center has reduced costs for uninsured patients, click the link for more information.  

Mabel Wadsworth is located in Bangor and offers care via telehealth.

No age limits stated, but appears to be for 18+ contact the provider to learn age limits on services.  

 

Baystate Health (Website – Transgender Services, FB – Baystate Health , IG – @baystate_health)

Baystate Health Transgender Services include hormone therapy, STI screening, primary care including referrals and prep for gender confirming surgery, routine Gyn care

Payment Options:  Baystate Health accepts most insurance providers and also has guidelines for financial assistance, click the link billing and insurance for more information. 

Health Centers are located in Springfield and North Hampton.

Age limits for transgender services are not clear, check with Baystate Health for age limitations on services.  

 

Northern Light Health, Eastern Maine Medical Center (Website – Gender Clinic, FB – Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center , IG – @northernlighthealth)

The Gender Clinic services are not very obvious although it seems to offer hormone therapy after several clinical evaluations.

Payment Options:  Norther Light Health accepts a variety of insurance options and also has a financial assistance program, check the links for details.

The Eastern Maine Medical Center is located in Bangor, but serves central, eastern, and northern Maine through a variety of locations although different locations appear to have different specialties and it is recommended to starting to seek information from the primary campus.

The Gender Clinic states that it serves children, adolescents, and adults. 

 

Plume Clinic 100% On-Line Gender-Affirming and Trans-Focused Healthcare  (Website – Plume, FB – Plume Clinic, IG – @plume_clinic)

Plume Clinic offers 100% on-line gender-affirming and trans-focused care for your full authentic self.  They offer a wide range of services including gender-affirming hormone therapy transition support, sexual health services, mental health and everyday wellness.

Click the Maine link for Plume Clinic online services.

Payment Options:  Plume accepts self-pay in Alaska for their monthly membership plans.

Patients must be 19 years of age to get services from Plume

 

TrueU Clinic (Website – Gender-Affirming Care, FB –True U Clinic, IG – True U Clinic).

True U Clinic offers gender-affirming hormone therapy, PrEP and STD testing and treatment.

Payment Options: click the pricing link for information.

True U Clinic is a digital service that partners with local labs for testing.

Services are for 18+ adults.

 

Planned Parenthood of Main has (4) Health Centers that are part of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England – PPNNE.  All of these  locations in Maine offer gender-affrimming hormone replacement therapy at the Health Centers and via Telehealth.  The Health Centers are located in Biddeford , Portland , Sanford and Topsham.  If you aren’t near one of these locations, contact Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for a telehealth appointment.

PPNNE offers other important services such as wellness screenings/ exams, reproductive health, prevention and treatmet of infections, STIs and HIV at both health centers and by telehealth.

Payment Options:  Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check with the center for details .

The service is intended for adults 18+, but some PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17  andyou may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center.

 

VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Maine

We no longer recommend VA Health Care and clinics as a safe space for LGBTQ people to receive health care.

 

 

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