HHS proposes rules to restrict gender-affirming care for minors
Two proposed rules would limit federal funding for providers that offer gender-affirming care to minors and block federal dollars from supporting such care, as rulemaking proceeds.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday proposed two rules intended to curb access to gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the plan, which would affect how federal funds are used for such care. The administration said the measures would move through the usual federal rulemaking process before any final changes take effect. The first rule would prohibit hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors from participating in Medicare and Medicaid, effectively limiting access to these programs for facilities that offer such services. The second rule would block federal dollars from being spent on gender-affirming care for minors. The administration stressed that the rules must go through formal notice-and-comment periods and other procedural steps before any final version could be implemented.
The policy action comes amid a broader political and legal battle over transgender rights in the United States. In January, President Donald Trump issued executive orders that criticized what he described as