Field Notes.
Thoughts, stories and ideas.
Low Testosterone After a TBI: Why Nobody Checked, and What to Ask For
Current as of September 28, 2026. General information, not medical advice. Short answer: A head injury can damage the pituitary, and about a third of people have some pituitary hormone deficiency in the years after a TBI. Nobody screens for it routinely, because the VA and DoD guideline for mild
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Telehealth TRT in Oregon: What the Rules Actually Require
Current as of September 25, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Short answer: Legal, if your provider holds an Oregon license. Oregon is one of the few states with a real pathway for it, a telemedicine-status license from the Oregon Medical Board, so an out-of-state physician can register to treat
Is Telehealth TRT Legal in California? What the Rules Actually Say
Current as of September 25, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Short answer: Yes, if the provider treating you holds a California medical license. California has no out-of-state telehealth registration and is not part of the interstate licensure compact, so a clinic whose doctors are licensed only in another state
Your PHA Flagged Low Testosterone. Now What?
Current as of September 22, 2026. Short answer: Do not start treatment yet. Confirm the number with a second early morning fasting draw on a different day, make sure it was not taken right after a hard training block, and get LH and FSH so somebody finds out why. Treatment
Does the Military Drug Test Catch Testosterone?
Current as of September 22, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Short answer: Steroids are not on the routine random urinalysis panel. Under the Army's implementing regulation a commander has to specifically request steroid testing with a written probable cause analysis, and it runs at a different lab.
Getting Out on TRT: The Gap Between TRICARE and the VA
Current as of September 22, 2026. Short answer: You have 90 days after your retirement date to enroll in a TRICARE plan, and the transitional coverage people talk about is for involuntary separations, not normal retirements. There is no VA disability rating code for low testosterone. Compensation comes from residuals
Deploying on Testosterone: Waivers, Supply, and What You Cannot Mail
Current as of September 22, 2026. Short answer: You can deploy on testosterone therapy, but CENTCOM's theater medical standards list testosterone and all injectables as disqualifying without a waiver, even though the new DoD clinical guidance says a stable patient should not need one. Plan on the waiver.
Does TRICARE Cover Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
Current as of September 22, 2026. Short answer: Yes, for diagnosed hypogonadism, under the pharmacy benefit, with prior authorization. It is denied outright if the purpose is athletic performance. Active duty members have to go through their assigned primary care manager, and there is no point-of-service option, so a cash-pay
TRT and Special Duty: Flight Status, Dive, Submarine, and Nuclear
Current as of September 22, 2026. Verify with your flight surgeon, dive medical officer, or undersea medical officer before acting on any of it. Short answer: For most service members a testosterone diagnosis is not a duty limitation. For special duty it can be. Navy dive, special warfare, and submarine
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Editorial notes from the Hew Health team. Clinical perspective, patient stories, and field reports from our practice in Destin and Orlando. No promotional content. No referrals to other lists.
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