U.S. Moves To Block Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
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Washington — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced regulatory proposals that would restrict gender-affirming care for minors by cutting Medicare and Medicaid funding to hospitals providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical interventions and by prohibiting federal Medicaid coverage for those procedures. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called such treatments 'malpractice' at a news conference. The measures would affect access in two dozen states and include a proposal to remove gender dysphoria from a disability definition. Major U.S. medical organizations criticized the actions as contrary to clinical guidance. Based on 11 articles reviewed and research.
Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- Prior years: States enacted bans or restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors in many jurisdictions.
- Dec 18–19: HHS announced proposed regulatory actions to cut Medicare/Medicaid funding and prohibit federal Medicaid coverage for certain gender-affirming procedures for minors.
- HHS officials, including Secretary RFK Jr., publicly characterized these procedures as inconsistent with standards of care during a press conference.
- Major U.S. medical organizations, including the AAP and AMA, issued statements criticizing the proposals as contrary to clinical guidance.
- Observers warned the measures could reduce access in roughly two dozen states that currently provide Medicaid-funded gender-affirming treatments.
- Articles Published:
- 11
- Right Leaning:
- 1
- Left Leaning:
- 1
- Neutral:
- 9
- Distribution:
- Left 9%, Center 82%, Right 9%
Conservative policymakers and advocacy organizations opposing gender-affirming medical treatments benefited politically by advancing regulatory changes aligned with their policy goals and by consolidating support among their constituencies.
Transgender minors, their families, and clinicians providing gender-affirming care suffered reduced access to treatments, potential loss of federal funding, and increased legal and administrative barriers to care.
Coverage of Story:
From Left
'Junk science': RFK Jr moves to eradicate gender-affirming care for trans youth
The Sydney Morning HeraldFrom Center
U.S. Moves To Block Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
Longmont Times-Call Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel PBS.org ABC7 News CNA The CT Mirror Asian News International (ANI) LatestLY Internewscast Journal
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