Trump admin proposes rules to block gender-affirming care for minors
Two Health and Human Services proposals would bar certain funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors and block federal dollars from being spent on such care.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday that the federal government would take steps to block access to gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The Health and Human Services Department proposed two rules: one would bar hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors from participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and a second would block federal funds from being spent on such care for minors. The administration must complete the rulemaking process before either measure becomes final.
These proposals come amid a broader policy push by the Trump administration against transgender rights. In January, President Donald Trump issued executive orders criticizing 'gender ideology extremism' and describing gender-affirming care as 'chemical and surgical mutilation.' Last month, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to enforce a passport policy requiring sex at birth on passports.
Major medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, say minors should have access to gender-affirming care when appropriate, typically through puberty blockers and hormone therapy rather than surgery. The policy changes stand in contrast to established medical guidelines for treating transgender youths.
Under the rules, federal funding would be restricted to providers that do not offer gender-affirming care to minors, potentially affecting how hospitals allocate services and how states deploy Medicaid funds. The administration will open the measures for public comment as part of the rulemaking process, a step that will extend over the coming months before any final policy is issued.