US bars Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care for minors
Why it matters: States can keep coverage only if they replace the lost federal money for Medicaid and CHIP patients.
The Trump administration finalized a rule barring federal Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program funds from paying for gender-affirming care for people under 18. The policy applies nationwide, but its effect will depend on whether states choose to cover the care with their own money. Katie Keith of Georgetown's Center for Health Policy and the Law called the move unprecedented, saying she was unaware of another federal funding ban aimed at a specific patient group with a particular diagnosis. KFF estimates about 130,000 transgender minors live in states where such care remains available. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz posted a video about the final rule.