Yes, New York Medicaid covers vasectomy at no cost to the patient, and so does the state’s Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP) for people whose income is too high for regular Medicaid. The catch is timing: federal and state rules require you to be at least 21, sign a sterilization consent form, and wait a minimum of 30 days before the procedure.1eCFR. 42 CFR 441.253 – Sterilization
Who Qualifies
Two programs can pay for the procedure. Full Medicaid covers adults under 65 whose income falls at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, which for 2026 means $22,025 a year for a single adult, with the threshold rising for larger households. There is no asset test under the MAGI calculation most adults use.2NYC.gov. Medicaid Income Eligibility Levels You also need to live in New York and either be a U.S. citizen or meet immigration status requirements.3ACCESS NYC. Medicaid
If you earn more than that, look at the FPBP. It was built for people who make too much for full Medicaid but still want coverage for contraception and sterilization. In 2026, a single person qualifies with monthly income up to $2,966, which works out to roughly $35,591 a year (223% of the federal poverty level). There is no resource test, and the program is open even to people who already have other health insurance and want confidential family planning coverage.4New York State Department of Health. 2026 New York State Income and Resource Standards The state’s FPBP fact sheet lists male sterilization among the services it pays for.5New York State Department of Health. FPBP Fact Sheet
Under either program, you pay nothing. No copay applies to family planning services.6New York State Department of Health. Family Planning Benefit Program
You Must Be 21 and Sign a Consent Form
Federal regulations set a hard age floor of 21 at the time you sign the consent form. There is no exception. If you are under 21, Medicaid will cover other contraceptive methods but will not pay for a vasectomy.1eCFR. 42 CFR 441.253 – Sterilization
The form itself is the state’s LDSS-3134 “Consent for Sterilization.” Your provider walks you through the permanent nature of the procedure, describes alternative birth control methods, and documents that you’re choosing sterilization voluntarily. A witness signs along with you, and you get a copy to keep.7New York State Department of Health. LDSS-3134 Sterilization Consent Form
The 30-Day Waiting Period
Once you sign, at least 30 days must pass before the vasectomy can be performed. The signed consent is good for 180 days, so the procedure has to happen inside that window. Miss it and you sign a new form and start the 30-day clock over.1eCFR. 42 CFR 441.253 – Sterilization
This is the part that catches people off guard. You cannot walk into a clinic and schedule a Medicaid-covered vasectomy for next week. If you want the procedure done by a particular date, work backward and get the consent signed early.
Finding a Provider and Scheduling
If you’re in a Medicaid managed care plan, you do not need a referral or prior authorization for family planning. New York’s “Free Access” policy lets managed care enrollees see any Medicaid-participating provider for these services, even outside the plan’s network.8eMedNY. New York State Medicaid Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services Frequently Asked Questions So if your plan’s urologist has a long wait, you can look elsewhere.
To find someone, check your plan’s directory, call your local county health department, or go through a family planning clinic such as Planned Parenthood. Many urologists who take Medicaid perform vasectomies. The first visit is the consultation and consent signing, which starts the 30-day clock. You schedule the actual procedure after the waiting period runs.
What Isn’t Covered
Medicaid treats vasectomy as permanent, and vasectomy reversal is not a covered benefit. If you’re uncertain about whether you may want children later, the program covers temporary contraceptive methods instead.
Post-vasectomy semen analysis, the lab test that confirms the procedure worked, is standard medical follow-up, but no state source explicitly confirms Medicaid pays for it as part of the vasectomy benefit. Ask your provider at the consultation whether the follow-up test is included under your coverage so a bill doesn’t surprise you later.