The Trump administration has issued a new rule prohibiting the use of federal funds for transgender healthcare for minors. Announced by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this rule prevents Medicaid dollars from being utilized for procedures CMS labels as “sex-rejecting” for individuals under 18. It also affects Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for similar procedures for those under 19.
Beneficiaries currently undergoing cross-sex hormone therapy have a six-month transition period to continue claiming benefits after the rule’s effective date, set for October 12, 2026.
President Trump posted on social media: “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.”
Several advocacy groups have voiced strong opposition to the rule. Kelley Robinson, President of Human Rights Campaign, criticized the administration for “terrorizing trans youth and their families.” Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, from The Trevor Project, labeled the rule as a “dangerous restriction on doctor-prescribed health care.”
Statistics indicate that surgical procedures for transgender youth are rare. A study from 2024 found less than one percent of transgender or gender-diverse minors received some form of surgical gender-affirming care, whereas cisgender male minors reported a higher rate of gender-affirming surgeries.
This development is part of broader healthcare policy changes affecting the sector, as noted in The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter by Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. They follow Washington’s impact on healthcare each week. Upcoming changes include Sen. John Cornyn’s support for vaccinations amid shifts in recommended immunization schedules after recent executive orders.
Additional healthcare updates involve new ventures by Hims & Hers Health, which aims to sell U.S.-manufactured compounded peptides, and ongoing legal discussions in Texas concerning surrogacy cases and medical treatment for unborn children with congenital conditions.
Local headlines cover vaccine policies, healthcare law changes in Massachusetts, and other state-level healthcare developments.
Readers are encouraged to stay informed with these evolving healthcare topics.
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