Medicaid will stop paying for some gender-affirming care for transgender minors
The Trump administration announced that Medicaid will stop paying for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender minors, and the state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will not pay for these treatments for those under 19. The policy, which takes effect Oct. 13, is the latest in a series of actions targeting transgender people that began the day Trump returned to office last year. Trump said he directed CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to make the change, describing the procedures as 'barbaric' and causing 'unthinkable and irreversible harm.' The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not respond to questions about the policy, and it is unclear how much taxpayer funding currently covers gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth.
The policy will continue to pay for mental health treatment for transgender minors, but will phase out coverage of hormone treatments—including both puberty blockers and hormones that produce sex-related physical changes—for those already receiving them as of April 2027. Gender-affirming surgeries for minors are rare, while puberty blockers and hormone treatments are more common. At least 27 states have already banned gender-affirming care for those under 18, and many major hospitals in states without bans have also stopped providing some treatments.
LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the rule. GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders legal director Josh Rovenger said it 'is putting up barriers between parents and their ability to make the best medical decisions for their children' and predicted a legal challenge. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said the administration is 'terrorizing trans youth and their families,' adding that HRC is already suing over efforts to bar gender-affirming care coverage under federal employee benefit plans. The American Medical Association and most major medical organizations support access to gender-affirming care, though the American Society of Plastic Surgeons earlier this year found 'insufficient evidence' that surgeries on minors outweigh risks. The administration has also barred transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, restricted passport sex designations, and released a report urging therapy-only for transgender youth; most of these changes face legal challenges.