Hormone pellets are small implants of estradiol or testosterone placed under the skin during a clinic visit and replaced every few months.
- Per insertion (women)
- About $300 to $500, clinic estimate [1]
- Per year (women)
- About $1,200 to $2,000 at 3 to 4 insertions [1]
- Biote clinics
- $395 to $450 per insertion where published (Jun 19, 2026) [2]
- Testosterone pellets (men)
- Price not published by the clinics we checked [3]
- FDA status
- Compounded pellets are not FDA-approved [4]
What we could not confirm
Pellet prices on this page come from a clinic marketing page and a third-party roundup, not from a price list we could check directly. No clinic we checked published a testosterone pellet price for men. Ask any clinic for its written price before you book.
What you will pay for hormone pellets
| Option | Price | What is included | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hormone pellets for women, market range | About $300 to $500 per insertion | The insertion; labs and consults often extra | 2026 | Highland Longevity [1] |
| Biote pellet insertion for women | $395 to $450 per visit; about $350 to $600 across the market | Insertion; lab, consult and supplement fees often extra | Jun 19, 2026 | The HRT Index [2] |
| Testosterone pellets for men (Gameday Men's Health) | Not listed; free consult and testosterone test advertised | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | Gameday [3] |
| Generic estradiol patches, 4 (comparison) | $22.66 to $34.41 with coupon | Drug only | Oct 16, 2026 | GoodRx [5] |
| Generic testosterone cypionate, 1 mL vial (comparison) | About $20 to $31 with coupon | Drug only | Oct 17, 2026 | GoodRx [6] |
Sponsored placement: open.
One local practice can be featured here. This is a paid, labeled placement and never an endorsement.
Feature your practice, from $300 a month.
Sponsored placements on this page are labeled and are never an endorsement. We do not rank or vet the practices that buy them, so check any clinic the same way you would check one you found on your own.
Hidden costs of pellet therapy
- Lab work, consults and supplements billed apart from the insertion [2].
- Three or four insertions a year, each a separate charge [1].
- Supplements: Biote reports that it sells supplements as well as pellet training [4].
- Package deals or prepaid plans. Ask what happens to your money if you stop.
Are hormone pellets FDA-approved?
Compounded pellets are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality [10]. Biote, a company that trains practitioners in pellet therapy, says in its annual report that most of its pellets are made by Asteria Health, its own 503B outsourcing facility, and that "FDA does not verify the safety or effectiveness of compounded products" [4].
In 2020 the National Academies recommended that FDA consider adding pellets, along with estradiol, progesterone and testosterone, to its Difficult to Compound list, and said compounded bioidentical hormones should be limited to people allergic to an ingredient in an approved product or who need a form that is not available [7]. The Menopause Society's 2022 statement warns that compounded hormones risk overdosing or underdosing [8].
For men, ask whether the pellet is an FDA-approved brand product or a compounded one, and ask for the product name so you can read its label. We could not confirm the label status of testosterone pellet products today.
Biote and other pellet networks
Biote Corp. (Nasdaq: BTMD) is a practice-building company. At the end of 2025 it reported more than 9,200 practitioners trained in its pellet method and more than 5,300 partnered clinics [4]. Clinic prices vary by location. Read our Biote review.
Ways to pay less
- Ask whether an FDA-approved patch, gel or pill would work for you. Generic estradiol patches cost $22.66 to $34.41 per box of 4 with a coupon [5].
- For men, compare with generic testosterone cypionate at about $20 to $31 per vial with a coupon [6]; see TRT cost.
- Get the full yearly price in writing: insertions, labs, consults and supplements.
- Do not prepay a year of insertions before you know how you respond.
Insurance
We did not find a source on how insurers handle pellets. Plans can cover FDA-approved hormones, and Medicare Part D covers them at a cost set by formulary tier [9]. Ask your plan directly before an insertion.
Related: bioidentical hormones, HRT clinics near you and the hormone therapy hub.
Questions people ask
How much do hormone pellets cost?
For women, about $300 to $500 per insertion, repeated every 3 to 4 months, or about $1,200 to $2,000 a year, by a clinic market estimate [1]. Labs and consults are often extra.
How much do testosterone pellets cost?
We could not find a published price. Gameday Men's Health offers testosterone pellets but lists no treatment prices, only a free consult and testosterone test [3]. Ask any clinic for a written quote.
How much does Biote cost?
Clinics offering Biote pellets for women listed $395 to $450 per insertion in a June 2026 roundup, with labs, consults and supplements often extra [2].
Are hormone pellets FDA-approved?
Does insurance cover hormone pellets?
We found no source on pellet coverage. Ask your plan before the insertion. Plans can cover FDA-approved hormones, and Medicare Part D covers them by formulary tier [9].
Sources
10 cited
- Cost of hormone pellets. Highland Longevity (clinic marketing page), 2026.
- Biote cost. The HRT Index, Jun 19, 2026.
- Gameday Men's Health home page. Gameday Men's Health, Oct 17, 2026.
- biote Corp. annual report (Form 10-K) for fiscal 2025. biote Corp. via SEC EDGAR, Mar 2026.
- Estradiol prices and coupons. GoodRx, Oct 16, 2026.
- Testosterone cypionate prices. GoodRx, Oct 17, 2026.
- Prescribers should restrict the use of non-FDA-approved compounded bioidentical hormones except for specific medical circumstances. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Jul 1, 2020.
- The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society (press release). The Menopause Society (then NAMS), Jul 7, 2022.
- Is HRT covered by insurance?. Healthline, Aug 1, 2025.
- Compounding and the FDA: questions and answers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025-09-16 (accessed 2026-10-17).
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own care.