Does UnitedHealthcare Cover AndroGel?

What does the UnitedHealthcare program require?

The program covers androgens and anabolic steroid therapy for conditions in which they have been shown to be effective and that fall within the scope of the plan's pharmacy benefit, and says coverage for enhancement of athletic performance or body building will not be provided [1]. Androgel is on its medication list; the program marks products with an asterisk as ones that may be excluded from coverage, and notes that state mandates, federal requirements and the member's specific benefit plan can affect coverage [1].

For hypogonadism, topical testosterone (gel, solution) is approved based on one of two routes [1]:

• A history of bilateral orchiectomy, panhypopituitarism, or a genetic disorder known to cause hypogonadism (for example congenital anorchia or Klinefelter syndrome), in a patient who was male at birth.
• All of the following: two pre-treatment serum total testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL (below 10.4 nmol/L) or below the lab's reference range, taken at separate times (or, for a patient with a condition that may alter SHBG, such as a thyroid disorder, HIV disease, liver disorder, diabetes or obesity, one pre-treatment calculated free or bioavailable testosterone below 50 pg/mL); no use of growth hormone (unless panhypopituitarism) or an aromatase inhibitor; male at birth; a diagnosis of hypogonadism; and one of significant weight reduction (under 90% of ideal body weight), osteopenia, osteoporosis, decreased bone density, decreased libido, or an organic cause of testosterone deficiency.

Authorization is issued for 12 months [1].

What does reauthorization require?

Reauthorization is approved if the patient has a history of bilateral orchiectomy, panhypopituitarism or a genetic disorder known to cause hypogonadism, or if a follow-up total serum testosterone drawn within the past 12 months is within or below the normal male limits of the reporting lab (or above the upper limit with the dose adjusted), and the patient is not taking growth hormone (unless panhypopituitarism) or an aromatase inhibitor [1]. Reauthorization is also issued for 12 months [1]. The program adds that UnitedHealthcare may approve initial and reauthorization requests based solely on previous claim or medication history, diagnosis codes and claim logic, and that supply limits may be in place [1].

What AndroGel is approved to treat

The AndroGel 1% label covers replacement therapy in males for primary hypogonadism or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and says safety and efficacy in age-related hypogonadism have not been established [2]. FDA says testosterone products are approved only for men who lack or have low testosterone in conjunction with an associated medical condition, and that none of the approved testosterone products are approved for men with low testosterone who lack one [3]. In June 2026 FDA requested removal of the age-related hypogonadism limitation and revised prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia safety information [3].