The Trump administration is cracking down on transgender care, announcing major federal moves Thursday to stop kids from getting medical treatments. They are putting pressure on hospitals and doctors.
Health officials want to make rules that would stop hospitals from being part of Medicare and Medicaid if they offer puberty blockers or surgeries to transgender kids. They also want to block federal money from covering these treatments.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said these treatments don’t meet the standards of care. He even called some transgender medical treatments malpractice, saying that medical folks who give sex-rejecting procedures to kids are going against health care standards.
Medical groups aren’t happy about this, saying it interferes with medical freedom and could make it harder for people to get care. Dr. Susan Kressly, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that the government shouldn’t decide who gets care. She thinks this sets a bad example and will hurt kids and families.
It should be patients, families, and doctors – not politicians – deciding what’s best, Kressly said. What the government is doing makes that tougher for families with transgender kids.
This is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting transgender people. They have already removed transgender content from government websites, stopped collecting health information, banned transgender people from the military, and sued states that let transgender athletes play on school teams.
Also on Thursday, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said they are sending warning letters to 12 companies that make and sell breast binders. The FDA believes these products are being promoted as a way to treat gender dysphoria in kids. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said that the agency will stop funding research into gender transition, calling it junk science.
HHS officials say these decisions are based on their review of medical studies and reports. Still, some experts point out that these reports have been criticized for lacking strong evidence. Health leaders say they want to focus on mental health support for transgender youth, such as counseling. But they admit there are not enough mental health professionals available.
Gender identity care, or gender-affirming care, helps people transition to the gender they identify with. This can include mental health support, hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and other services.
Major medical groups, like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, say this kind of care is appropriate and can even save lives for kids and adults. They usually do not recommend surgery for kids as part of regular care, and studies show it is rare among transgender teens.
The American Civil Liberties Union says it will fight these new rules in court. Chase Strangio, from the ACLU, called the actions cruel and unconstitutional attacks on transgender kids and their families.
This announcement came right after the House passed a bill that would punish health care providers who give gender-affirming care to kids. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, could send doctors to prison for up to 10 years if they perform surgeries or give puberty blockers. It’s not clear if the Senate will pass it.
Advocates and medical professionals are worried about what this means for transgender youths in the long run. They say it could make it harder for them to get the care they need. With lawsuits coming and new rules being made, this fight over transgender medical rights is likely to grow.
