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Trump Administration Directs Medicaid to Cease Coverage for Youth Gender-Affirming Care
Just the facts
Under the policy scheduled to take effect October 13, 2026, Medicaid and CHIP will stop funding gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies for transgender minors while maintaining coverage for mental health services. The directive includes a transition timeline extending through April 2027 to phase out hormone treatments for youth currently receiving care. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz was tasked with enforcing the new regulations across state health programs. At least 27 states had previously enacted state-level restrictions on gender-affirming procedures for minors prior to the federal decision. Advocacy organizations, including GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders and the Human Rights Campaign, announced intentions to file federal lawsuits challenging the administrative rule.
Why this is news
President Donald Trump instructed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to terminate Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for individuals under age 19.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.