The Trump administration is poised to unveil a series of measures on Thursday that are expected to effectively ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, even in states where such care remains legal. This significant announcement will be made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters.
Attending the press conference are prominent health officials, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Dr. Marty Makary, director of the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health. Their participation highlights the administration's commitment to addressing health care regulations affecting transgender minors.
In October, NPR reported exclusively on two proposed rules regarding hospitals that Dr. Oz is expected to announce on Thursday. The first rule would prevent doctors and hospitals from obtaining federal Medicaid reimbursement for medical care provided to transgender patients under the age of 18. This regulation is poised to have a significant impact on the availability of care for young transgender individuals.
The second proposed rule aims to block all Medicaid and Medicare funding for any services offered at hospitals that provide pediatric gender-affirming care. As Medicaid provides essential health care coverage to low-income children and adults in the U.S., and Medicare serves Americans over 65 and those with disabilities, the implications of these rules could be profound. Nearly every hospital in the nation accepts Medicare, meaning this rule could drastically limit healthcare access for transgender youth across the country.
The focus on transgender minors comes just a day after Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a package of health care bills that do not extend subsidies for individuals purchasing insurance through Affordable Care Act plans. Notably, the legislative package included a bill introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), which criminalizes the provision of gender-affirming care to transgender minors, carrying penalties of fines or prison sentences of up to 10 years. This bill successfully passed on Wednesday.
Additionally, another bill introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) seeks to prohibit Medicaid reimbursement for gender-affirming care for youth, and it is set for a vote on Thursday. Both pieces of legislation would need to pass in the Senate to become law, further complicating the landscape of transgender healthcare.
Both supporters and opponents of transgender rights agree that the forthcoming hospital rules could render access to pediatric gender-affirming care extremely challenging, if not impossible, across the nation. Currently, this type of care is already banned in 27 states, and the introduction of these new rules could exacerbate the situation for young transgender individuals seeking necessary medical support.
Once the proposed rules are entered into the Federal Register, there will be a comment period before they take effect. This allows for public feedback and discussion on the implications of these regulations. We will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates following the official announcements later on Thursday.