U.S. Health and Human Services has announced it will end the use of Medicaid and CHIP funds to pay for “sex-rejecting procedures” for children.
These procedures include prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, as well as surgical operations that cause permanent bodily damage.
The initiative was originally proposed last year in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump to end gender-mutilating procedures on children.
“These interventions carry serious risks and can cause irreversible harm,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “The federal government will no longer use Medicaid and CHIP dollars to fund procedures that fail to meet the evidentiary standard our children deserve.”
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said that the action will not only protect children but also save taxpayer dollars.
HHS research revealed “significant evidence gaps” and “documented, serious safety concerns,” which ultimately led to the conclusion that the evidence is insufficient to justify taxpayer funding of such procedures.
Medicaid funds will remain available for six months after the effective date of the new rule to allow for a “tapering-off period” for children who are currently on hormone therapy. The move does not affect coverage for mental health services.
Legislation passed by Texas in 2023 already prohibits sex-rejecting procedures on children.
Vanessa Sivadge, president of Protecting Texas Children, told Texas Scorecard that this federal move is a “significant win for child protection, accountability, and transparency.”
“Medicaid is funded by American taxpayers, and taxpayers have every right to expect that their hard-earned dollars are being used responsibly and in ways that genuinely serve the best interests of children,” said Sivadge. “I believe children deserve protection from irreversible medical interventions while they are still developing and growing.”
Sivadge also said ending federal Medicaid funding for gender-mutilating procedures is an important step toward “putting the welfare of children ahead of ideology, profit, or political pressure” and increasing transparency.
“Families and taxpayers deserve honest information about what treatments are being provided to children, the potential long-term consequences, and who is ultimately paying for them,” added Sivadge. “Public programs should be held to the highest standards of accountability.”
The final rule will take effect October 13.
