WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has finalised a new federal rule prohibiting the use of Medicaid funds to cover gender identity-related healthcare for individuals under the age of 18, marking a significant change to federal healthcare policy.
Announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the rule bars states from using federal Medicaid funding to pay for gender identity care provided to minors enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). States that choose to continue offering such services will be required to finance them using their own funds.
According to CMS, the new policy does not apply to mental health services provided to children. The rule is scheduled to take effect on October 13, with a six-month transition period allowing federal funding to continue temporarily for minors currently receiving treatment to support an orderly phase-out.
President Donald Trump welcomed the measure, describing it as a step aimed at preventing what he called irreversible medical interventions involving minors.
How Have Supporters and Critics Responded?
The new rule represents the latest action by the Trump administration to restrict access to gender identity-related healthcare for minors. Administration officials have argued that the policy is intended to protect children and ensure federal funds are not used for medical treatments they believe should not be provided to minors.
The administration had previously considered broader restrictions, including withholding federal funding from hospitals and healthcare providers offering gender identity-related treatments to children. The final rule, however, focuses specifically on the use of federal Medicaid funding.
The policy has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and numerous medical organisations, which argue that limiting access to medically supervised gender identity care could negatively affect the health and wellbeing of transgender youth. Opponents say the decision could reduce access to treatment for low-income families who rely on Medicaid coverage.
The rule is expected to face continued political and legal scrutiny as debates over healthcare policy and transgender rights remain a prominent issue in the United States.