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PATH Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone who meets All of the following criteria:

  1. Transgender or Gender Diverse
  2. 16 or older
  3. Resident of Mecklenburg County
    -Limited funding also available for residents of the Charlotte Metro Area including Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Union Counties in NC, and Chester, Lancaster, and York Counties in SC.
  4. Uninsured or Underinsured
    -Underinsured meaning you can’t afford the copays/ coinsurance on your plan or that needed services are not covered by your insurance.

Our Case Manager is your initial point of contact and helps coordinate your care. They will work with you to find a therapist or doctor among our providers who meets your individual needs. They will also connect you to other local resources depending on your needs (ex. Food bank, housing assistance, legal services). Overall, the case manager is there to get you connected and support you on your unique healthcare path.

If you are a resident of Mecklenburg County: yes! You don’t have to choose between medical and mental health services. Our case manager is there to help connect you to providers and other resources.

If you live in the broader Charlotte Metro area: at this time we are only able to offer mental health services on a first come first serve basis based on available funds. Our Case Manager may still be able to connect you to low cost medical centers and other community resources to help you get affordable, affirming care. As of October 25th, 2023 we currently have a waitlist for those living outside of Mecklenburg County.

Our primary funding for direct services will end December 31st, 2024. While we are continuing to look for other funding sources, the majority of care will likely stop being funded by the end of next year. Our Case Manager will also be available to help folks connect to other resources until the end of 2025.

Residents of Mecklenburg County:

  • Therapy- sessions are available in batches of 10 sessions. Your therapist may request additional sessions, which will be allocated based upon several factors, such as funding availability, clinical need, and attendance/missed appointments.
  • Medical- Most general, preventative, and gender-affirming medical appointments and labs are covered by PATH. Our contracted providers have a specific list of services that PATH covers. If you require specialized medical care that is not covered, then payment arrangements can be discussed with the medical practice under their sliding scale services or the PATH Case Manager, who may be able to assist with referrals to other low cost medical services for those specific services.
  • Pharmacy- Each PATH participant will be eligible for a stipend for prescription medications through specific pharmacies contracted with PATH. This way the pharmacy will be reimbursed directly by PATH and nothing comes out of your pocket until your allowance has been fully used. We anticipate this budget will cover up to 12 months of HRT.

Charlotte Metro Residents: Due to funding limitations, we are only able to offer 10 sessions of therapy for each participant residing outside of Mecklenburg County. This support is also on a first come first serve basis, and there will sometimes be a waitlist. If you require additional sessions, our Case Manager will talk with you about sliding scale options with your current therapist as well as possible referrals, if needed. 

Medical care is currently only available to residents of Mecklenburg County. PATH is covering primary medical care. This includes visits to a primary care provider (PCP), or the doctor you would see for routine care, such as an annual physical or minor illnesses and injuries. We are also able to cover some vaccines, labs, and STI tests given at the PCP office. If you require specialized medical care that is not covered, then payment arrangements can be discussed with the medical practice under their sliding scale services or the PATH Case Manager, who may be able to assist with referrals to other low cost medical services for those specific services.

PATH does not include:

  • Emergency room visits
  • Medical specialists (ex. Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, etc.)
  • Imaging & advanced diagnostics (ex. MRI, X-Ray, Oncology labs)
  • Gender-affirming surgery

We are able to offer a stipend to assist with prescription costs for PATH participants who are residents of Mecklenburg County. We have contracts with some local, independent pharmacies. If you fill the prescriptions at that pharmacy, we will reimburse the pharmacy for you and there will be no initial cost to you. The Case Manager can discuss other options as needed.

All services through PATH are offered through subcontracting agreements with individual providers who are able to demonstrate a commitment to and continuing education in gender-affirming care. If your provider is not a member of Charlotte Trans Health, we will assist you in reaching out to your provider to determine their interest and eligibility to join the program as a contracted provider. Providers must contract with the PATH Program to be eligible to be reimbursed for services. If we are not able to establish that contract, we will not be able to pay the provider. You are welcome to continue seeing them at your own expense if you would like, but we can also connect you to another provider who is included in the program.