A new federal rule will end Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming hormone therapies and procedures for kids under age 18.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Tuesday a rule that prohibits state Medicaid plans from covering gender-affirming procedures for minors and using federal Medicaid dollars for such care.
The rule also prohibits Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, funds from being used for youth under 19. CMS is defining such care to include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical operations. The policy takes effect Oct. 13.
The Trump administration asserts that gender-affirming care is dangerous for young people, while many medical groups say it’s safe and can improve the mental health of children and adolescents. Surgical gender-affirming care operations are very rare for children.
For those on Medicaid and CHIP who are currently on gender-affirming hormone therapy, the agency said state plans may continue to use federal money up to six months from now. Funds can still be used for mental health care for kids, the agency said.
In response to several Trump proposals on gender-affirming care, many of the nation’s leading medical associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have affirmed the safety of care that aligns with a child or teen’s gender identity.
“These rules are a baseless intrusion into the patient-physician relationship,” Dr. Susan Kressly, then president of the academy, said in a December statement. “Patients, their families, and their physicians — not politicians or government officials — should be the ones to make decisions together about what care is best for them.”
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