FAQs

Great question! Insurance limitations restrict access to quality care in the field of gender-related medicine and medication-assisted weight management services, often leading patients to providers lacking adequate expertise. Additionally, other healthcare options, such as free clinics or subscription services, may lack continuity of care with a consistent provider, resulting in fragmented and inconsistent treatment. At AffirmHealth, we prioritize seamless and coordinated care by offering the same dedicated physician for every visit, ensuring a deep understanding of your current treatment and future goals. Our commitment to excellence is upheld through rigorous training and extensive real-world experience, guaranteeing comprehensive and expert care throughout your journey. 

You can schedule an appointment by clicking any of the scheduling links/buttons on our website. This will take you to our secure patient portal. From there you simply follow the instructions. Unfortunately at this time, our scheduling system does not allow preferred name and includes only legal name and legal gender. This is something we are actively working on with our technology team. However, preferred name, gender identity and pronouns can be updated once you are scheduled and receive your intake forms. We apologize for this limitation as we know dead names can be both painful and difficult and we hope to be able to alter this process in the future. See below for what type of appointment will work best for you. 

• An initial visit is 40 minutes. This is a required first visit for anyone who is new to the practice. This gives you and Dr. Parsons ample time to discuss your transitional journey—understanding where you are and where you want to go. Each person’s journey is unique and it is important to make sure you and Dr. Parsons are on the same page.
• Follow up visits can be 20 or 40 minutes. This is up to you! If everything is going great and you just need a quick or routine check-in, 20 minutes is perfect. If you have concerns or simply want more time to ask questions or to speak with Dr. Parsons, a 40 minute appointment might be a better fit.

No. Dr. Parsons is qualified to diagnosis gender dysphoria and initiate treatment if appropriate. If you do have a previous diagnosis, Dr. Parsons will discuss this with you as well as treatment plans going forward.

For gender affirming treatment it depends on where you are in your transitional journey. On average most patients need to be seen and have labs checked every 3 months. However, for patients who are further along and stable with their transition it may be acceptable to follow up every 6 months with labs at Dr. Parsons' discretion. For primary care and weight management, follow up length will be discussed at your visit based on your medical needs.

At AffirmHealth we offer multiple medications for gender-related care. These largely include hormones and/or hormone blockers. However, other concerns may arise as a result of your transition so in addition we offer treatments for hair loss, acne, and sexual function support as needed. We also offer “micro dosing” and specialized treatment plans for non-binary/genderqueer patients. For primary care and weight management we can prescribe what is appropriate for treatment. Dr. Parsons does not prescribe controlled substances to treat ADHD, opioids or benzodiazepines.  

Yes, as long as the medication is already listed on your formulary, it is covered the same way it would be at a visit with an in-network doctor. Your formulary can be found by logging into your insurance website or calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card. If the medication is NOT on your formulary it would not be covered regardless of in or out of network. In those cases we recommend checking out GoodRx which is free and offers coupons and discounts for most medications.

AffirmHealth has electronic prescription services. This means at your visit if a prescription is appropriate, it will be sent directly to the pharmacy for you. This includes any additional supplies which could include needles and syringes. Testosterone prescriptions must go to a brick and mortar pharmacy at this time due to Texas Law. 

Below is a list of routine labs required to be completed 1 week prior to follow up visits for gender affirming care. For primary care or weight management other labs may be needed based on your individual treatment plan and any additional tests would be discussed with you at your visit.

For patients on testosterone:

• Complete Blood Count
• Testosterone level

For patients on estrogen

• Testosterone level
• Estrogen level
• Basic Metabolic Panel (if on spironolactone)

Lab work needs to be completed at least 1 week prior to your appointment. This allows the results to be sent to and reviewed by Dr. Parsons. This ensures that during your visit you are able to discuss any changes to your treatment plan and Dr. Parsons can answer any questions you may have.

It depends. Certain plans will cover out of network provider labs as long as they are at an in-network lab facility. Other plans do not. Please be sure to check in with your insurance company. The cash price for labs can range from approx. $29 to $200 per lab. The 2 major labs are CPL and Quest Diagnostics. For the most accurate and up to date prices we recommend contacting one of their offices directly.

After your first appointment we recommend making a login account for our patient portal. Once you login you will be able to see all test results and any information Dr. Parsons communicates with you.

Yes! You can submit super bills to your insurance company for reimbursement depending on your specific plan. We accept HSA cards for your preferred method of payment.

Yes. While the main focus is gender affirming care, Dr. Parsons does offer primary care services for the larger queer community. Dr. Parsons also offers medication-assisted weight management care. 

• For current patients, letters are free and included in your visit. We offer letters for gender marker change as well as letters for gender affirming procedures.
• For those who are not patients and do not plan to establish care, we will provide a letter, if appropriate, with a one time flat fee of $150.
• Remember that surgery letters can be specific to your surgeon so you will need to check in with their office to ensure you have all the letter requirements
• We are unable to provider Mental/Behavioral health letters. If you do not already have a mental health provider and are requiring a letter speak to your doctor about options and assistance with finding one.

We understand that life happens and unexpected things can occur, in the event that you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we kindly request if a that it be done so at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time. This is to ensure other patients can have access to this appointment and ensure all patients have the opportunity to be seen. In the event of a cancellation, reschedule or no show in under 24 hours before your appointment, you will be charged the full amount of the visit to the payment method on file.