The Trump administration announced that Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program will halt federal funding for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender minors, a policy set to take effect October 13.
Under the change, Medicaid will stop covering gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for those under 18, while CHIP will not pay for such treatments for anyone under 19. States retain the option to cover the procedures using their own funds.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said mental health treatment for transgender minors would continue to be covered. Coverage of hormone treatments used to block puberty and produce sex-related physical changes will be phased out by April 2027 for those already receiving them.
President Donald Trump said he directed CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to implement the measure. “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,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
The move is the latest in a series of policies targeting transgender people since Trump returned to office last year. Advocates for LGBTQ+ young people have strongly opposed the restrictions, arguing that such care is medically supported and important for the wellbeing of transgender youth.
It remains unclear how much taxpayer funding currently covers gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth. CMS did not respond to questions about the policy.
At least 27 states have already banned gender-affirming care for people under 18. Even in states without bans, many major hospitals have stopped providing some treatments. Gender-affirming surgeries for minors are rare, while puberty blockers and hormone treatments are more common.
The debate over medical treatment for transgender people extends well beyond the United States. In China, questions surrounding gender-affirming procedures have also drawn attention, as illustrated by a transgender woman’s public warning about the risks of cosmetic surgery.
The policy takes effect in October, with the phase-out of existing hormone treatments extending into 2027. Legal challenges and pushback from advocacy groups are anticipated as the changes are implemented across states.