Low testosterone · Telehealth for men · Canada & USA
How much does TRT cost in Canada vs the USA?
TRT has two price tags: the testosterone and the testing around it. In Canada, provincial plans cover medically necessary lab tests, but public drug plans pay for testosterone only in narrow cases, so the usual routes are private insurance or paying at the pharmacy. As of October 2026, a generic 10 mL vial of testosterone cypionate is listed at $34.88 CAD on Ontario’s and Alberta’s drug lists and starts at $37.99 USD cash in the USA. Gels and pellets cost more, often much more. The biggest swing in the USA is the clinic: in a 2022 study, cash-pay telehealth platforms charged $1,586 to $4,200 USD for a year of injections. We help men in Canada and the USA plan the right labs, use the coverage they have and work on causes first.
Part of our low testosterone and andropause guide for men in Canada and the USA.
What drives the yearly cost of TRT?
Four things set the bill. Lab tests: testosterone has to be confirmed before starting, and hematocrit and PSA are repeated at three and six months and then yearly, per British Columbia’s testing protocol. The form: the Endocrine Society calls injections “relatively inexpensive, if self-administered,” while daily gels and implanted pellets cost more. Coverage: who pays for labs and the drug depends on your province or state, your insurance and your age. Visits and clinic fees: in the USA these are often the largest line. Prices below were checked in October 2026 and vary by province, state and pharmacy. Before any of this, the first step is confirming low T: see when to get checked for low T.
Testosterone testing costs in Canada
Provincial plans pay for lab tests that are medically necessary. Ontario says OHIP covers medically necessary tests in community labs when you have a lab requisition; British Columbia’s plan paid labs $15.81 for a total testosterone and $29.37 for calculated bioavailable testosterone with SHBG (fees current to April 2022). Two catches. First, BC’s protocol exists partly to limit “wellness” and “anti-aging” testing and does not support testing men without symptoms. Second, PSA in Ontario is covered only when prostate cancer is suspected or being followed; otherwise you pay. Private-pay options, as of October 2026: the LifeLabs testosterone test (total, free and bioavailable T plus SHBG) is $98 in Ontario and BC and is not covered by OHIP, with bioavailable T as the paid part; a LifeLabs PSA is $71; and a Dynacare Plus home kit (total T, free T, SHBG) is $99 with an Ontario health card or $138.99 without, because OHIP pays for the lab work but not the kit, shipping or admin. Private insurance coverage of these tests varies by plan. Which markers are worth paying for is covered in labs to ask for.
The TRT lab panel, marker by marker
Here is what each test answers and what it costs where a price is published. In BC, free testosterone is calculated from total T and SHBG, and the protocol asks for the same lab at every visit because reference ranges differ between labs. When total T is borderline, free T explains the gap: see free vs total testosterone. Comparing a Canadian result in nmol/L with a US result in ng/dL? Use the testosterone unit converter.
| Test | What it shows | Canada | USA (cash) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total testosterone | The first test, drawn in the morning | BC plan pays labs $15.81; Ontario covers it when medically necessary | Quest $69 + $6 fee |
| Free T and SHBG | Usable testosterone when total T is borderline | BC: $29.37 with SHBG; LifeLabs panel $98 private | Labcorp panel with albumin $159 list |
| LH and FSH | Whether low T starts in the testes or the pituitary | Listed in BC for investigating low T | Varies by lab |
| Estradiol | Breast tenderness or growth | BC calls it not useful in men without breast changes | Varies by lab |
| Hematocrit | Blood thickness, which rises on TRT | Before starting, at three and six months, then yearly (BC) | Quest blood count $29 + $6 fee |
| PSA | Prostate check before and during TRT | Ontario: you pay unless cancer is suspected; LifeLabs $71 | Quest $69 + $6 fee; Medicare: $0 yearly, men over 50 |
Do provincial drug plans pay for TRT?
Mostly not for age-related low T. OHIP does not pay for drugs outside hospital. Ontario: the Ontario Drug Benefit covers people 65 and older and some other groups, and every testosterone product it pays for is Limited Use; code 397 requires low morning testosterone with documented hypothalamic, pituitary or testicular disease, or HIV, and adds that older men with nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue and a low-normal random level do not qualify. Seniors pay the first $100 each year, then up to $6.11 per fill. British Columbia: PharmaCare covers testosterone injections through Special Authority for listed conditions such as hypogonadism, removal of the testes, undescended testes, Klinefelter syndrome or pituitary disease. Alberta: generic cypionate injection is a regular benefit on the government drug list, gels are not a benefit, and the oral capsule’s criteria rule out “androgen decline in the aging male.” Everyone else leans on workplace or private plans, which gave 27 million people drug coverage according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s 2025 factbook, or pays cash.
Injections, gels and pellets: how often you pay
The form decides how often you refill and what each refill costs. The Endocrine Society lists typical starting doses of 75 to 100 mg of testosterone enanthate or cypionate a week, or 150 to 200 mg every two weeks; 50 to 100 mg of 1 percent gel a day; and pellets of 600 to 1,200 mg placed under the skin through a small incision, lasting three to six months. Injections are the cheapest per dose but bring peaks and dips; gels give steadier levels but can pass to a partner by skin contact; pellets mean fewer visits but a minor procedure each time. Neither Ontario’s nor Alberta’s drug list includes a pellet product. Each form has its own side effects too, laid out in TRT side effects.
Testosterone prices: Canada vs the USA
Canada (CAD, government list prices, October 2026): Ontario lists generic testosterone cypionate at $34.88 per 10 mL vial (100 mg/mL), the same per-mL price Alberta lists ($3.4878 per mL); testosterone enanthate is $35.59 per 5 mL vial in Ontario; 1 percent gel is $2.96 per 5 g packet for the generic and $4.51 for brand AndroGel. Pharmacies add a dispensing fee, and Ontario does not cover brand Depo-Testosterone. USA (USD, cash prices on Drugs.com, October 2026, not valid with insurance): generic cypionate starts at $37.99 per 10 mL vial; brand Depo-Testosterone runs $44.70 to $93.29; generic 1.62 percent gel is $55.73 to $77.13 per 88 g pump; brand AndroGel 1 percent is $318.13 to $683.83 for 30 packets; and Testopel pellets are about $1,065 for ten 75 mg pellets, before the insertion visit. Generic injections list at similar dollar figures in both countries; brand gels and pellets are where US cash prices climb.
US lab costs: insurance, Medicare and cash
With insurance, your plan’s copays and deductible decide the bill. Medicare Part B pays the full cost of a PSA blood test once a year for men over 50. Without insurance, consumer lab sites post prices (October 2026): Quest lists total testosterone at $69, PSA at $69 and a complete blood count with hematocrit at $29, each plus a $6 service fee, and accepts HSA and FSA cards but does not bill insurance; Labcorp OnDemand lists a comprehensive testosterone panel (total and free T, SHBG, albumin) at $159, on sale for $119.25 when checked. A baseline of testosterone, PSA and hematocrit at Quest comes to $185 with fees. Labs only help if they are drawn right, so plan for two morning tests and the same lab each time.
US insurance vs cash-pay telehealth clinics
Cash-pay men’s clinics bundle visits, labs and medication into a monthly fee. A 2022 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (Jesse and colleagues) priced a year of injectable testosterone at three online platforms at $1,586 to $4,200, against $134.01 to $1,333.04 at a tertiary medical center billed through insurance or Medicare, and found gels cost more online too. The authors’ advice: men with private insurance or Medicare will likely pay more through these platforms. Price is not the only gap. In a secret-shopper study in JAMA Internal Medicine (Dubin and colleagues, 2022), 6 of 7 platforms offered testosterone to a man with normal total and free T who wanted children, and only one asked about heart events or fertility. Before paying a monthly fee, compare it with what your insurance covers and make sure the plan starts with confirmed low T and its causes, as in TRT or fix the causes first.
Ongoing monitoring costs
British Columbia’s protocol sets the rhythm: hematocrit, PSA and a prostate exam before starting, again at three and six months, then yearly once stable, with total testosterone checked yearly on a stable dose. Paid privately, one round of testosterone plus PSA at LifeLabs is $169 CAD, and testosterone, PSA and hematocrit at Quest is $185 USD with fees. That makes the first six months (three rounds) $507 CAD or $555 USD if every test is out of pocket, then about one round a year. In Canada, medically necessary tests on a requisition are paid by the provincial plan (PSA in Ontario is the exception above), so the real number is often far lower. That is our math from the listed prices, and it leaves out visit fees.
Putting it together: the drug cost for a year
A worked example with the listed prices (our arithmetic, drug only). A 10 mL vial at 100 mg/mL holds 1,000 mg. At 100 mg a week, the top of the Endocrine Society’s weekly range, one vial lasts ten weeks, so a year takes 5.2 vials: about $181 CAD at Ontario’s list price (about $15 a month) or about $198 USD at the lowest US cash price. Gel at 50 mg a day is one 5 g packet a day: about $1,079 CAD a year for the generic and $1,647 for the brand at Ontario prices. One Testopel insertion of ten pellets (750 mg) is about $1,065 USD before the visit. Add labs, dispensing fees and any clinic or visit fees on top, and remember your dose and form may differ.
How Odin helps you spend less and get more
Odin Health Labs is an andropause and low-T telehealth service for men in Canada and the USA. On a free call we go through your symptoms, history, medications and any labs you already have, then help you plan which tests to get, when and where: what your provincial plan or insurance is likely to cover, what is worth paying for privately and what you can skip. We read your results with you in plain language and build a written plan aimed at the causes that lower testosterone: sleep, weight, stress, nutrition, training and the right supplements. Our health coaching keeps it going week to week, and functional health looks at the whole picture. If TRT becomes part of your next steps, we help you compare forms and costs and keep your monitoring on schedule.
Telehealth consults
Video or phone, anywhere in Canada or the USA, at a time that fits your week.
Testing guidance
The right labs at the right time, with the coverage you already have.
Causes first
A written sleep, weight, stress and nutrition plan aimed at what is lowering your T.
Clear next steps
Check-ins, repeat labs on schedule and a plain comparison of options and costs.
From price questions to a plan
Here is how we work with you, start to finish.
- Step 1
Talk through symptoms and coverage
On a free call we go through your energy, drive, sleep, weight, insurance and budget.
- Step 2
Get the right labs
Two morning testosterone tests and the markers that matter, at the lowest cost to you.
- Step 3
Fix the causes first
A written sleep, weight, stress and nutrition plan, with coaching to keep it going.
- Step 4
Decide your next steps
Repeat labs, check-ins and a clear look at whether TRT fits, and what it would cost you.
Sources (prices checked October 16, 2026)
- British Columbia Ministry of Health, Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee. Testosterone Testing Protocol (revised October 27, 2022). gov.bc.ca testosterone testing protocol
- British Columbia Ministry of Health. Hormone Testing: Indications and Appropriate Use (revised October 27, 2022). gov.bc.ca hormone testing
- BC PharmaCare. Limited coverage criteria: testosterone injection (updated April 21, 2026). gov.bc.ca PharmaCare criteria
- Government of Ontario. What OHIP covers (updated April 22, 2026) and Prostate cancer screening (updated February 4, 2026). ontario.ca what OHIP covers
- Government of Ontario. Ontario Drug Benefit program: who qualifies and what you pay (updated August 18, 2026). ontario.ca Ontario Drug Benefit
- Ontario Ministry of Health. ODB Formulary search: testosterone (checked October 16, 2026); Limited Use code 397 as shown on rxcoverage.ca. formulary.health.gov.on.ca
- Alberta Health Drug Benefit List, androgens (Alberta Blue Cross, checked October 16, 2026). idbl.ab.bluecross.ca androgens
- LifeLabs. Testosterone Lab Test ($98) and PSA Lab Test ($71), Ontario store (checked October 16, 2026). store.lifelabs.com testosterone test
- Dynacare Plus. Men’s Testosterone Home Testing Kit (checked October 16, 2026). shop.dynacareplus.com
- Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Canadian Life & Health Insurance Facts, 2025 Edition. clhia.ca
- Quest consumer testing (questhealth.com): Testosterone, PSA and Complete Blood Count tests (checked October 16, 2026). questhealth.com testosterone test
- Labcorp OnDemand. Comprehensive Testosterone Test (checked October 16, 2026). ondemand.labcorp.com
- Drugs.com price guides: testosterone, Depo-Testosterone, AndroGel and Testopel (cash prices, checked October 16, 2026). drugs.com price guide
- Medicare.gov. Prostate cancer screenings. medicare.gov prostate cancer screenings
- Jesse E, Sellke N, Rivero MJ, et al. Practice Comparison and Cost Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Telemedicine Platforms Offering Testosterone Therapy. J Sex Med 2022;19(11):1608–1615. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.03.609
- Dubin JM, Jesse E, Fantus RJ, et al. Guideline-Discordant Care Among Direct-to-Consumer Testosterone Therapy Platforms. JAMA Intern Med 2022;182(12):1321–1323. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4928
- Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018;103(5):1715–1744. doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-00229
Frequently asked questions
How much does TRT cost per month in Canada?
For the drug itself, often less than people expect. Ontario and Alberta list generic testosterone cypionate at $34.88 CAD per 10 mL vial. At 100 mg a week one vial lasts about ten weeks, which works out to about $15 a month before the pharmacy’s dispensing fee. Generic 1 percent gel at Ontario’s price ($2.96 per 5 g packet) is about $89 for a month’s supply of 30 packets. Labs and visits come on top, and public drug plans pay only in narrow cases, so the usual routes are private insurance or paying at the pharmacy. Prices as of October 2026 and they vary by province and pharmacy.
How much does TRT cost in the USA without insurance?
Cash prices on Drugs.com in October 2026: generic testosterone cypionate from $37.99 USD per 10 mL vial, generic 1.62 percent gel $55.73 to $77.13 per 88 g pump, brand AndroGel 1 percent $318.13 to $683.83 for 30 packets, and Testopel pellets about $1,065 for ten pellets before the insertion visit. Clinics add more: in a 2022 study, a year of injections through cash-pay telehealth platforms cost $1,586 to $4,200. Consumer lab tests run $35 to $75 each at Quest with fees.
Does OHIP or my provincial plan cover testosterone testing?
Provincial plans cover lab tests that are medically necessary. Ontario says OHIP covers them in community labs with a lab requisition, but PSA is covered only when prostate cancer is suspected or being followed; otherwise a LifeLabs PSA is $71. The private LifeLabs testosterone test (total, free and bioavailable T plus SHBG) is $98 and not covered by OHIP. In British Columbia the plan paid labs $15.81 for total testosterone, and the provincial protocol does not support testing men without symptoms or “wellness” testing.
Is TRT covered by provincial drug plans in Canada?
Only in narrow cases. Ontario Drug Benefit covers people 65 and older and some other groups, and its testosterone products are Limited Use: low morning testosterone with documented hypothalamic, pituitary or testicular disease, or HIV, and older men with nonspecific symptoms and a low-normal level do not qualify. BC PharmaCare needs Special Authority for listed conditions such as hypogonadism or pituitary disease. Alberta lists generic cypionate injection as a regular benefit but not gels. Workplace and private plans vary, so check yours.
Is TRT cheaper in Canada or the USA?
The generic injection lists at similar dollar figures: $34.88 CAD per vial on Ontario’s and Alberta’s lists versus from $37.99 USD cash. Gels are far cheaper on Canadian lists than brand gel at US cash prices, and pellets are a US option that Ontario’s and Alberta’s drug lists do not include. Labs are usually covered in Canada when medically necessary, while US cash tests cost $35 to $75 each and Medicare pays for one PSA a year for men over 50. The biggest US cost is often the clinic membership.
How does Odin Health Labs work with my doctor?
Odin Health Labs is an andropause and low testosterone telehealth service for men in Canada and the USA. We work alongside your own doctor: we go through your symptoms, history and lab results with you, help you decide which tests to ask your doctor for and what your coverage is likely to pay for, prepare questions about TRT costs and options, and build your sleep, weight, stress and nutrition plan. We can share your plan and results with your doctor if you choose. See our low testosterone overview and our Privacy Policy.
Want a clear plan before you spend on TRT?
A free call is the first step: we go through your symptoms, results and coverage, plan the labs worth doing and set up a causes-first plan.