U.S. Proposes Major Restrictions on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is proposing measures to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, including cutting federal Medicaid and Medicare funds to hospitals offering such services. These proposals are not yet legally binding as they must go through a rulemaking process.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new regulatory actions on Thursday that could effectively ban gender-affirming care for minors, following broader Trump administration policies on transgender rights.

The proposals, which aim to cut off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals providing such care to minors, mark the administration's most significant effort to date against puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions for transgender youths. Although these measures are not legally binding yet, they could deny services to children in nearly two dozen states where such procedures are currently funded by Medicaid.

The proposed restrictions are anticipated to face legal challenges and must undergo a lengthy rulemaking process, including public comments. Despite support from major U.S. medical organizations for gender-affirming care, the potential loss of Medicaid and Medicare payments poses a substantial threat to U.S. hospitals that participate in these programs.