Medicaid to stop paying for gender-affirming care for some transgender minors

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration announced Tuesday that states will no longer be able to use federal Medicaid funding for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender minors. The Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, will also stop paying for those treatments for people under age 19.

Medicaid funding to end for some gender-affirming care for minors

What we know:

The new policy, which is scheduled to take effect Oct. 13, is part of a series of Trump administration actions restricting transgender-related health care and other policies since he returned to office last year.

Under the administration’s policy, Medicaid and CHIP would continue covering mental health services for transgender minors. Those already receiving covered hormone treatments will have a transition period before federal funding is phased out in April 2027.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how much taxpayer funding is going to cover gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth now. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not respond Tuesday to questions by The Associated Press seeking additional information about the policy.

Trump directs Dr. Mehmet Oz to implement change

What they're saying:

Trump said in a social media post Tuesday that he directed Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to carry out the change.

"We are not going to pay for our innocent children to undergo these barbaric surgeries and practices, which result in unthinkable and irreversible harm to their young bodies," Trump said in his post on Truth Social.

The other side:

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have strongly opposed the administration’s approach, arguing that the new restrictions interfere with families’ ability to make health care decisions with medical professionals.

Josh Rovenger, legal director for GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, said the policy "is putting up barriers between parents and their ability to make the best medical decisions for their children" and would face a legal challenge.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson also criticized the administration’s actions, saying they have created fear and uncertainty for transgender young people and their families. HRC is already involved in a lawsuit challenging administration efforts to prevent federal employee health benefit plans from covering gender-affirming care.

"The Trump administration is terrorizing trans youth and their families with these kinds of actions, and it has to stop," Robinson said in a statement.

Gender-affirming care for minors already banned in 27 states

The backstory:

Access to gender-affirming care for minors has already been restricted across much of the country. At least 27 states have banned such care for people under 18. In states without bans, some major hospitals have also stopped offering certain treatments.

Gender-affirming surgeries among minors are uncommon, while treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones are more frequently used.

The administration has previously proposed to bar hospitals from Medicare and Medicaid participation if they provide certain gender-affirming procedures to minors. It has also moved to restrict transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports and adopted a passport policy limiting sex designations.

Last year, the administration also issued a report recommending therapy rather than broader gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender young people.

Many of these policies have been challenged in court, with different outcomes. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the administration’s passport policy to remain in effect and permitted states to enforce restrictions involving transgender athletes. Meanwhile, a lower federal court ruled against an administration declaration describing gender-affirming treatments as unsafe and ineffective.

A separate legal challenge involving the administration’s attempt to restrict federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors remains unresolved.